A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Brunkow family of Germany.
Reg. 4958 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
ramLeadership and authority
hunting horn stringedOne who delights in the chase
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“D'arg. à une tête et col de bélier de sa., les cornes tort. de sa. et d'or. C.: trois plumes de paon, au nat.”
BrandenburgBrandenburg, c. 1765
Where the Brunkow Arms Were Recorded
Brandenburg
Map of Germany showing where the Brunkow arms are recorded
The Brunkow arms were recorded in Brandenburg, c. 1765.
Brandenburg was sandy farming country around Berlin, held in large estates by families who served as officers. Land and military service each brought arms, and most families there had both.
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 Brunkow 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 Brandenburg.
Origin & History of the Brunkow Family in Germany
The surname Brunkow finds its historical roots in the region of Brandenburg, Germany, where records confirm the family was established by at least 1765. The name is likely topographic or locational in origin, derived from the Old Polabian or Slavic linguistic influences common in the eastern German territories during the Middle Ages. In this context, names ending in the suffix -ow often indicated a place of origin or a settlement belonging to a specific person. As the family lived in the Prussian heartland, they were part of a society deeply shaped by agricultural traditions and the expansion of rural villages. Over the generations, the Brunkow family became integrated into the social and economic fabric of the Brandenburg landscape, reflecting the broader patterns of migration and settlement that defined the history of the region during the eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Brun
A Germanic term referring to the color brown or dark.
This name
BrunkowA locative or descriptive name indicating someone with a dark complexion or hair.
also spelled
Brunkowf
Brunkau
Brunkowv
Brunko
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv, Kirchenbücher der Provinz Brandenburg
ramLeadership and authority
hunting horn stringedOne who delights in the chase
ramLeadership and authority
hunting horn stringedOne who delights in the chase
