A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Billerbeck family of Germany.
Reg. 5279 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“D'or à trois roses de gu. Cq. cour. C.: les trois roses, entre un vol d'or.”
GueldersGuelders, c. 1765
Where the Billerbeck Arms Were Recorded
Map of Germany showing where the Billerbeck arms are recorded
The Billerbeck arms were recorded in Guelders, c. 1765.
Guelders was river country in the east of the Netherlands, held by families whose estates sat along the water. Land there stayed in the same hands for generations, and long tenure is what fills a register of arms.
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 Billerbeck 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 Guelders.
Origin & History of the Billerbeck Family in Germany
The family name Billerbeck is a topographic surname, which means it was originally derived from a specific place rather than a trade or a personal characteristic. The name likely refers to individuals who lived near a "Biller," an old term for a stream or a brook, and a "Beck," which is a common Germanic word for a small creek. By the mid-eighteenth century, historical records confirm that members of the Billerbeck family were well-established in the region of Guelders. This area, located along the border of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands, was a significant territory where families often settled near fertile river valleys. Because the name describes a landscape feature, it suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely farmers or landholders who identified their home by the nearby water sources that defined their local geography.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Biller-beck
A combination of a plant name and a small stream.
This name
BillerbeckRefers to a person who lived near a stream where the guelder rose plant grows.
also spelled
Byllerbeck
Billerbek
Bilerbek
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archive: Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen, Abteilung Rheinland, Kirchenbücher der evangelischen Kirchengemeinde Geldern
Book: Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Book: Udolph, Jürgen, Namenkunde: Erforschung und Erklärung der Namen, 2009
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
