A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bargen family of Germany.
Reg. 1133 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Colours
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)
“D'arg. à un pélerin, posé a profil, hab. de sa., coiffé d'un chapeau du même, les pieds nus, tenant de sa main dextre un bâton à tête recourbée et de sa sen. un rosaire. Cq. cour. C.: un vol, de sa. et d'arg.”
GermanyHambourg, c. 1765
Where the Bargen Arms Were Recorded
Hambourg
Map of Germany showing where the Bargen arms are recorded
The Bargen arms were recorded in Hambourg, c. 1765.
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.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Bargen 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 Germany.
Origin & History of the Bargen Family in Germany
The family name Bargen is a topographic surname, which means it was originally derived from the physical landscape where the earliest ancestors lived. In the Low German language, the term "barg" refers to a hill, a mountain, or a defensive mound. People who took this name likely lived near a prominent hill or a raised piece of land that served as a landmark in their local community. By 1765, records confirm that members of the Bargen family were established in Hamburg. During this period, Hamburg was a thriving center of trade and commerce, and families living there were often connected to the city’s bustling maritime economy. As the family grew, the name served as a permanent link to the geography of their ancestral home, reflecting a time when a person's identity was closely tied to the specific terrain they inhabited.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Berg
A mountain, hill, or elevated piece of land.
This name
BargenDerived from a topographic location near a hill or mountain.
also spelled
Bargenn
Bargene
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
