A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Carmer family of Germany.
Reg. 2404 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
cross symbolChristian faith and service
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
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 au chev. d'or, acc. en chef de deux croix de Malte d'arg. et en p. d'une fleur-de-lis du même. Cq. cour C.: une croix de Malte d'arg., entre un vol d'azur. L. d'arg. et d'azur.”
PomeraniaPomerania, c. 1765
Where the Carmer Arms Were Recorded
Map of Germany showing where the Carmer arms are recorded
The Carmer 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 Carmer 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 Carmer Family in Germany
The name Carmer is deeply rooted in the historical region of Pomerania, where members of the family were documented as early as 1765. The name likely originated as a topographic or occupational descriptor within the Germanic naming traditions of the Baltic coast. During the eighteenth century, Pomerania was a complex landscape under Prussian influence, and families like the Carmers often held roles within the local administration, land management, or the growing merchant class of the region. As the family established itself in these northern territories, they became part of the social fabric that defined rural and urban life in the Prussian state. Their presence in official records from this period suggests a family that was integrated into the local economy and the evolving bureaucracy of the era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Karm
A Middle High German term referring to a basket or container.
This name
CarmerAn occupational surname for a basket maker or a merchant who sold baskets.
also spelled
Karmer
Carmere
Carmerr
Related arms
Angotsimilar arms
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Landesarchiv Greifswald, General-Muster-Rollen der Pommerschen Regimenter
Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz, I. Hauptabteilung Repositur 9: General-Direktorium
Heitz, Gerhard, Die ländliche Leibeigenschaft in Mecklenburg und Pommern, 1954
Pyl, Theodor, Geschichte der Greifswalder Kirchen und Klöster, 1885
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
cross symbolChristian faith and service
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
cross symbolChristian faith and service
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
