A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Altmann family of Germany.
Reg. 2600 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Ec.: aux 1 et 4 de gu. à une tête de vieillard barbu, au nat.; aux 2 et 3 d'or au chev. d'azur, la cime en forme de losange d'arg. C.: un buste de vieillard, hab. d'azur; entre deux prob. coupées, à dextre de gu. sur arg., à sen. d'azur sur or, ornées chacune dans son embouchure de trois pl. d'aut., à dextre d'une d'azur entre deux d'or, à sen. une de gu. entre deux d'arg. L. conformes aux émaux des prob.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1631
Where the Altmann Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Altmann arms are recorded
The Altmann arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1631.
Bavaria was a country of old landed families and walled market towns. Estates passed down the same line for centuries, and both the landowners and the leading townsmen kept arms, which is why so many Bavarian names sit in the registers.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Germany in this period.
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
1619–1637
Reigning in Germany when the Altmann arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
In the Holy Roman Empire, coats of arms were often granted to individuals by the Emperor or his representatives. These arms were then passed down through the generations to all legitimate descendants of the original holder. Younger branches of a family usually kept the same shield design without needing to change it, as the arms belonged to the entire lineage.
Granting authority
The Holy Roman Emperor held the sole power to grant new coats of arms throughout his vast imperial territories.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal imperial grant or by proving their noble status to the authorities.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Imperial Chancery registers, which began keeping formal records of such honors during the Middle Ages.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Altmann Family in Germany
The surname Altmann is a classic example of a name derived from a personal nickname that eventually became a hereditary family name. In the German language, the name combines the words for old and man, which likely served as a respectful title for a village elder or a person of significant wisdom and experience. By the time the family was firmly established in the Bavarian region in 1631, the name had transitioned from a simple description of an individual to a stable identifier for entire households. During this period, the Altmann family lived through the turbulent years of the Thirty Years' War, a time when many families in southern Germany were forced to move or adapt to survive shifting political and religious landscapes. Because the name was rooted in common language rather than a specific geographic location, it allowed the family to maintain a consistent identity even as they integrated into the local agricultural and civic life of the Bavarian countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Alt
Old or ancient
This name
AltmannAn old man or an elder, often used to distinguish a senior family member.
also spelled
Altman
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
