A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Carius family of Germany.
Reg. 4157 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
knightChivalry and service in arms
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à trois étoiles mal-ordonnées d'arg.; le champ chapé-ployé: à dextre d'arg. à un chevalier iss., arm. de toutes pièces, mouv. d'une couronne d'or, le bassinet panaché de pl. d'aut. d'arg., tenant de sa main dextre un badelaire au nat.; à sen. de gu. à trois morceaux de sel d'arg. L'écu bordé d'or. Cq. cour. C.: un vol d'arg., chaque aile ch. d'un écusson d'azur surch. de trois étoiles mal-ord. d'arg. L. d'arg. et de gu.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1753
Where the Carius Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Carius arms are recorded
The Carius arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1753.
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.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Carius 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 Carius Family in Germany
The surname Carius is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of Bavaria, where records confirm the family was established by at least 1753. The name likely originated as a Latinized form of a common Germanic or regional given name, a practice that was quite popular among educated families and church officials during the eighteenth century. Families bearing this name were often integrated into the local agrarian or artisan communities of southern Germany, where they contributed to the social and economic development of their villages. As the family grew, they moved through the Bavarian countryside, leaving behind traces in parish registers and local administrative documents that track their marriages, births, and occupations. These early records suggest that the Carius family lived through a period of significant regional change, adapting their lives to the shifting political boundaries and cultural traditions of the Holy Roman Empire.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Carus
Latin term meaning dear, beloved, or precious.
This name
CariusA German patronymic or locative surname derived from the Latin term for beloved.
also spelled
Caryus
Karius
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
knightChivalry and service in arms
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
knightChivalry and service in arms
