A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bünning family of Germany.
Reg. 5383 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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 losange d'azur. C.: trois pl. d'aut., une d'azur entre deux d'arg.”
PomeraniaPomerania, c. 1765
Where the Bünning Arms Were Recorded
Map of Germany showing where the Bünning arms are recorded
The Bünning arms were recorded in Pomerania, c. 1765.
Pomerania was flat farming country on the Baltic coast, held in large estates by a small number of families. They kept their land for generations, and generations of landholding is what fills 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.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Bünning 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 Pomerania.
Origin & History of the Bünning Family in Germany
The surname Bünning is rooted in the Low German linguistic tradition, likely originating as a patronymic name that identified a person as the descendant of someone named Bunno. By the mid-eighteenth century, historical records confirm that families bearing this name were well-established in the Pomerania region. In 1765, these individuals were primarily integrated into the agrarian society of the Prussian province, where they often worked as independent farmers or skilled laborers within the local village structures. Because Pomerania was a crossroads for trade and migration during this era, the Bünning family likely benefited from the social stability of the region while maintaining deep ties to their local parish communities. These early ancestors helped shape the cultural landscape of Northern Germany through their participation in rural life and their adherence to the traditions of the Baltic coast.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bunno
A Germanic personal name derived from the word for friend or protector.
This name
BünningA patronymic surname indicating descent from a person named Bunno or a dweller near a specific settlement.
also spelled
Buning
Related arms
Buningvariant 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 Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Landesarchiv Greifswald, Kirchenbücher der Provinz Pommern
Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz, General-Direktorium, Ostpreußen und Pommern
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lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
