A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Böhme family of Germany.
Reg. 8782 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
pelicanSelf-sacrifice and devotion to one's children
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
branchPeace, and new growth
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“Ec.: au 1 d'azur à un pélican cont. avec ses petits dans son aire d'arg., posé sur une terrasse de sin.; au 2 d'arg. à l'arbre arr., au nat.; au 3 d'arg. à un arbre arr., au nat., tronqué en haut et à dextre, et poussant à sen. une branche fendue en deux bouts; au 4 d'azur à une aigle de profil ess. d'arg., bq. et m. d'or, posée sur un tertre de sin. Cq. cour. C.: trois pl. d'aut. de sa. L.: à dextre d'arg. et d'azur, à sen. d'arg. et de sin.”
SaxonySaxony, c. 1789
Where the Böhme Arms Were Recorded
Saxony
Map of Germany showing where the Böhme arms are recorded
The Böhme arms were recorded in Saxony, c. 1789.
Saxony had mines, trade and old landed families all at once. Silver made some fortunes and land held others, and both sorts of family kept arms, which is why Saxon names appear so often 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.
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
1765–1790
Reigning in Germany when the Böhme 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 Saxony.
Origin & History of the Böhme Family in Germany
The surname Böhme is a classic example of a topographic or ethnic name that emerged during the Middle Ages in German-speaking lands. It originates from the Middle High German word "bœhmer," which was used to describe someone who came from Bohemia, a region located in the modern-day Czech Republic. As people began to move across borders for trade or work, those who settled in new towns were often identified by their place of origin. By the time the family was firmly established in Saxony in 1789, the name had become a common way to track ancestral roots that stretched back to the migration patterns between the Bohemian borderlands and the Saxon heartland. Over several centuries, the name evolved from a simple descriptor of a traveler into a permanent family identifier that was passed down through generations of farmers, craftsmen, and laborers living in the region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Böhmen
The historical region of Bohemia located in the modern Czech Republic.
This name
BöhmeAn inhabitant or person who originated from the region of Bohemia.
also spelled
Boehme
Bome
Related arms
Bohmvariant spelling
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
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Sächsisches Staatsarchiv, Kirchenbücher der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Landeskirche Sachsens, 1789
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pelicanSelf-sacrifice and devotion to one's children
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
branchPeace, and new growth
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
pelicanSelf-sacrifice and devotion to one's children
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
branchPeace, and new growth
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
