A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cammer family of Germany.
Reg. 9819 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
axeThe execution of military duty
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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 hache de gu., posée en bande. C.: la hache, le tranchant enfoncé dans un bonnet d'arg., retr. d'herm.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1581
Where the Cammer Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Cammer arms are recorded
The Cammer arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1581.
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.
Emperor Rudolf II
Sovereign of the period
Emperor Rudolf II
1576–1612
Reigning in Germany when the Cammer 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 Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Cammer Family in Germany
The family name Cammer traces its historical roots to the southern German region of Bavaria, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1581. The name is believed to be topographic or occupational in origin, likely derived from the Middle High German word "kammer," which refers to a chamber or a small room. In a medieval context, this term often identified someone who served as a chamberlain or an official responsible for managing the private quarters and financial affairs of a local nobleman or ruler. As the family became more settled in the Bavarian landscape during the late sixteenth century, they likely integrated into the local agrarian or administrative systems that defined village life at the time. Over generations, the name evolved alongside the linguistic shifts of the region, marking the family as part of the long-standing social fabric of southern Germany.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Kammer
A German term derived from the Latin camera meaning a vaulted chamber.
This name
CammerAn occupational name for a chamberlain or an official who managed a lord's treasury.
also spelled
Camer
Kamer
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bavarian State Archives (Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv), Kurbayern Hofkammer Buchführung (1581)
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt (1967)
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich (1903)
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axeThe execution of military duty
axeThe execution of military duty
