Map of Germany showing where the Berntsen arms are recorded
The Berntsen 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 Berntsen 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 Berntsen Family in Germany
The surname Berntsen traces its roots to the Germanic naming tradition, where it functions as a patronymic meaning son of Bernt. The name Bernt itself is a shortened form of Bernhard, which combines the Old High German words for bear and brave or hardy. By the year 1669, families bearing this name were well-established in the Bavaria region of southern Germany. During this period, the family likely lived as part of a rural or village community where individuals were identified by their father’s given name to distinguish them from neighbors. As the family moved and settled in different areas, the name remained a constant link to their ancestral identity and their northern European linguistic heritage. This naming practice was common throughout the region, helping to track family lineages in local church registers and tax records during the late seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bernhard
Derived from Germanic elements meaning bear and brave or hardy.
This name
BerntsenA patronymic surname meaning son of Bernt, a shortened form of 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
