A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Claussen family of Germany.
Reg. 1709 · German, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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'arg. à un ours assis de sa., tenant une bannière de pourpre bordée d'or, attachée à une lance de tournoi du même. C.: un bras arm., brandissant une épée, le tout au nat.; entre un vol de sa. L. d'arg. et de sa.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Claussen Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Claussen arms are recorded
The Claussen arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1765.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bavaria.
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 Claussen 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 Germany.
Origin & History of the Claussen Family in Germany
The family name Claussen is a patronymic surname, which means it was originally derived from the given name of a father or ancestor. It is a variation of the name Claus, which serves as a short form of the Greek name Nikolaus. By the time members of the family were documented in Bavaria in 1765, the name had already become a stable identifier passed down through generations. During the eighteenth century, families in the Bavarian region often lived in small, tightly knit agricultural communities where surnames helped distinguish between different households in the same village. Because the name is rooted in a common personal name, it likely emerged independently in several different locations across German-speaking lands. Families bearing this name were typically part of the common citizenry, working as farmers, craftsmen, or tradespeople who contributed to the local economy and social structure of the Holy Roman Empire.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Nikolaos
Victory of the people derived from Greek words for victory and people.
This name
ClaussenA patronymic surname meaning son of Claus, a shortened form of Nicholas.
also spelled
Clausen
Klaussen
Related arms
Clausenvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Gottschald, Max, Deutsche Namenkunde: Unsere Familiennamen, 1971
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
