Map of Germany showing where the Chow arms are recorded
The Chow 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 Chow 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 Chow Family in Germany
The family name Chow, often appearing in historical records as Chowe or Chowan, has deep roots in the region of Pomerania. By 1765, members of this family were well-established within the local social structure of this coastal area, which was then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. The name likely originated as a descriptive term or a localized topographic identifier used to distinguish families living near specific landmarks or within small rural settlements. As the population in Pomerania grew during the eighteenth century, families like the Chows often worked as landowners or skilled tradespeople who helped shape the agricultural landscape of the Baltic coast. Their presence in official tax and census records from this period confirms that they were active participants in the economic life of their community long before the major migrations of the nineteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Joannes
God is gracious
This name
ChowA German variant of the name John, signifying a gracious gift from God.
also spelled
Dechou
Chow
Dekow
Deshow
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Gehrke, Roland, Die Geschichte des Landes Stargard in Pommern, 2011
Landesarchiv Greifswald, Rep 6a: General-Tabellen der Städte und Ämter in Vorpommern, 1765
Müller, Friedrich, Die Familiennamen in Pommern: Eine Untersuchung zur Namenkunde, 1998
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
cockCourage, vigilance and readiness for battle
cockCourage, vigilance and readiness for battle
