A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Auerbach family of Germany.
Reg. 1734 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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 parti de sa. et d'or; à trois étoiles, rangées en pal, de l'un à l'autre (Auerbach); aux 2 et 3 coupé d'azur sur or; à trois roses de gu., bout. d'or, tigées et feuillées de sin., br. sur le coupé, mouvantes d'un tertre de sin. (Khepser). Deux cq. cour. C.: 1° un buste d'homme, hab. aux armes du 1; au rabat de l'un en l'autre; L. d'or et de sa.; 2° un vol, d'or et d'azur, chaque aile ch. d'une rose de gu., bout. d'or; L. d'or et d'azur.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1654
Where the Auerbach Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Auerbach arms are recorded
The Auerbach arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1654.
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 III, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
1637–1657
Reigning in Germany when the Auerbach 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 Auerbach Family in Germany
The surname Auerbach is a locative name, meaning it originated from a specific geographic location rather than a profession or a personal trait. The name is derived from the German words "Aue," which refers to a meadow or a floodplain, and "Bach," which means a brook or a stream. Families who took this name likely lived near a meadow stream in one of the many towns across Germany that bear this name. By 1654, records confirm that members of the Auerbach family were well-established in the Bavaria region. During this period, the family was part of the social fabric of southern Germany, living in a time when surnames were becoming permanent and hereditary. These early ancestors were likely farmers, tradespeople, or craftsmen who identified themselves by the landscape features surrounding their homes.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Aue and Bach
Meadow and brook or stream.
This name
AuerbachRefers to someone who lived near a meadow stream or a specific town in Germany.
also spelled
Aurbach
Auerbak
Owerbak
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
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
