A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Berwanger family of Germany.
Reg. 6038 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
unicornPurity, and extreme courage in defence of honour
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à la licorne naiss. d'or. C.: la licorne, iss.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1641
Where the Berwanger Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Berwanger arms are recorded
The Berwanger arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1641.
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 Berwanger 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 Berwanger Family in Germany
The surname Berwanger originates from the historical region of Bavaria, where the family was firmly established by the mid-seventeenth century. The name is classified as a topographic surname, which means it was likely derived from a specific geographic feature near the family’s original home. In the German language, the prefix "Ber-" often relates to a mountain or a hill, while the suffix "-wanger" typically refers to a meadow or a field located on a slope. This suggests that the earliest ancestors of the Berwanger family were likely farmers or landowners who lived on or near a hillside meadow. By 1641, the family was already integrated into the local Bavarian community, living through a period of significant social and agricultural development in Southern Germany. Their presence in regional records during this time indicates that they were settled inhabitants who contributed to the rural economy of the Bavarian landscape.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bär und Wang
German words for bear and meadow or field.
This name
BerwangerRefers to a person who lived near a meadow frequented by bears.
also spelled
Berwange
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
unicornPurity, and extreme courage in defence of honour
unicornPurity, and extreme courage in defence of honour
