A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Castner family of Germany.
Reg. 0020 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à un chien braque ramp. de sa., coll. et bouclé d'or. Cq. cour. C.: le chien, assis.”
SwabiaSwabia, c. 1765
Where the Castner Arms Were Recorded
Swabia
Map of Germany showing where the Castner arms are recorded
The Castner arms were recorded in Swabia, c. 1765.
Swabia was broken into a great many small territories in southern Germany, and each had its own landowners and its own leading townsmen. That fragmentation produced an unusual number of families with arms.
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 Castner 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 Swabia.
Origin & History of the Castner Family in Germany
The surname Castner originates from the German region of Swabia, where it functioned as an occupational name. During the Middle Ages and into the eighteenth century, a "Kastner" was a professional official responsible for managing the granary or the treasury of a local lord or monastery. Because these individuals were tasked with collecting taxes in the form of grain and overseeing the storage of food supplies, they held positions of significant local trust and administrative importance. By 1765, records confirm that families bearing this name were well-established within the Swabian landscape, living as part of a society deeply rooted in agricultural management and regional governance. The name serves as a historical marker of the transition from feudal food storage systems to the more structured civil service roles that defined life in southwestern Germany during the late eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Kasten
A box, chest, or container used for storage.
This name
CastnerAn occupational surname for a box maker or a keeper of a chest.
also spelled
Kastner
Castener
Related arms
Kastnervariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Heintze, Albert. Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich. 1903
Bahlow, Hans. Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt. 1967
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greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
