A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Birnbaum family of Germany.
lionCourage, strength and royaltyJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De sa. au lion d'or.”
The Birnbaum arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1765.
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.
Reigning in Germany when the Birnbaum arms are first recorded.
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.
The surname Birnbaum is a topographic name of German origin that translates literally to pear tree. In the mid-eighteenth century, families adopting this name often chose it to reflect the landscape surrounding their homes or to identify their specific place of residence within a village. By 1765, records confirm that members of the Birnbaum family were established in the region of Bavaria. During this period, surnames were becoming increasingly formalized for tax and census purposes under the administration of local rulers. Families in this area were often engaged in agriculture or trade, and the name served as a practical way to distinguish individuals within growing rural communities. Over time, the name became a permanent identifier passed down through generations as the family moved and expanded across the German-speaking lands.
German words for pear and tree.
