A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Burmeister family of Sweden.
Reg. 8536 · Swedish, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
knightChivalry and service in arms
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Parti: au 1 d'azur à trois bandes de gu.; au 2 d'arg. à un homme, hab. d'une redingote brunâtre, posé sur une terrasse de sin., tenant un rateau de sa., posé sur son épaule. C.: un chevalier, arm. de toutes pièces d'arg., tenant une épée levée, monté sur un cheval galopant de sa., caparaçonné de gu.; entre six guidons coupés alt. d'azur et de gu. L.: à dextre d'arg. et d'azur, à sen. d'arg. et de gu.”
LivoniaLivonia, c. 1700
Where the Burmeister Arms Were Recorded
Map of Sweden showing where the Burmeister arms are recorded
The Burmeister arms were recorded in Livonia, c. 1700.
Livonia was Baltic country held by a small number of landed families who kept their estates for centuries. Land there passed down whole rather than being divided, and long unbroken tenure is what fills a register.
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 Sweden in this period.
Carl XII of Sweden
Sovereign of the period
Carl XII of Sweden
1697–1718
Reigning in Sweden when the Burmeister arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Sweden
In Sweden, a coat of arms belonged to a noble family as a whole rather than just one individual. These arms were passed down through the generations to all legitimate descendants. Younger branches of the family used the same shield without needing to change it. This system ensured that the entire lineage shared the same identity and status under the law.
Granting authority
The Riddarhuset, or House of Nobility, regulated all noble coats of arms in Sweden under royal authority.
How they got arms
Families received their coats of arms through royal grants of nobility which were then officially registered with the House.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Swedish House of Nobility register starting in the year 1626.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Livonia.
Origin & History of the Burmeister Family in Sweden
The surname Burmeister originated in the Middle Ages as a professional title rather than a family name. It comes from the Low German words "bur," meaning a peasant or a farmer, and "meister," meaning a master or overseer. Originally, the name identified a person who served as a village mayor or a local administrator responsible for managing communal lands and settling disputes among neighbors. By the time the family was established in the region of Livonia around the year 1700, the name had transitioned from a job description into a hereditary surname passed down through generations. Living in Livonia, which was a territory spanning parts of modern-day Estonia and Latvia, the family likely occupied roles within the local bureaucracy or the merchant class that defined the Baltic German social structure of that era. As the name spread across Northern Europe, it remained a symbol of the family's historical connection to local governance and agricultural oversight.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Burgermeister
A municipal official or mayor of a town.
This name
BurmeisterAn occupational surname for a person who served as a town mayor or magistrate.
also spelled
Burmeister
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
Latvian State Historical Archives (Latvijas Valsts vēstures arhīvs), Livonian Church Records and Census Lists (17th and 18th Century)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
knightChivalry and service in arms
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
knightChivalry and service in arms
