A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Berentsen family of Germany.
Reg. 4558 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
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 ours assis de sa., cour. d'or, les pattes de devant levées. Cq. cour. C.: sept étoiles d'or, 2, 3 et 2; entre un vol de sa.”
Germanyc. 1669
Where the Berentsen Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Berentsen arms are recorded
The Berentsen arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1669.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bavaria.
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.
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
1658–1705
Reigning in Germany when the Berentsen 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 Berentsen Family in Germany
The surname Berentsen traces its roots to the Germanic naming traditions of Northern and Central Europe, functioning as a patronymic that identifies a person as the son of Berent. The name Berent itself is a shortened form of Bernhard, which combines the ancient Germanic words for bear and brave or hardy. By the year 1669, records confirm that families bearing this name were established in the region of Bavaria. During this era, the family likely lived as part of a rural agrarian society where surnames were becoming increasingly important for tax records and church registries. Because the name was tied to a father’s given name, it often shifted slightly in spelling across generations as families moved between different villages or interacted with local scribes. This linguistic evolution reflects the broader history of how common people transitioned from using single names to fixed family surnames during the seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bernhard
Derived from Germanic elements meaning brave or hardy bear.
This name
BerentsenPatronymic surname meaning son of Berent, a variant of the name Bernhard.
also spelled
Berentsenh
Berentsene
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
Gottschald, Max, Deutsche Namenkunde: Unsere Familiennamen nach ihrer Entstehung und Bedeutung, 1971
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
