A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Damm family of Germany.
Reg. 6907 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
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 lévrier ramp. de sa., coll. et bouclé d'or. C.: trois pl. d'aut.: d'arg., de sa. et d'or; entre deux prob., de sa. et d'arg. D.: TOUT AVEC DIEU.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Damm Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Damm arms are recorded
The Damm 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 Damm 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 Damm Family in Germany
The surname Damm is a topographic name that originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically referring to people who lived near a dam, a dike, or an embankment. In the German language, the word *Damm* describes a structure built to hold back water or to serve as a raised path through marshy ground. By the time the family was firmly established in Bavaria in 1765, the name had become a common way to identify individuals based on their proximity to these specific landscape features. Because many early families lived in small, rural communities, these location-based names were essential for distinguishing one family from another in local parish registers and tax documents. As the family grew, they moved through the Bavarian countryside, carrying this name as a testament to their ancestral connection to the land and the engineering efforts of their forebears.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
damm
A barrier, embankment, or dam constructed to hold back water.
This name
DammA topographic name for someone who lived near a dam or an embankment.
also spelled
Damme
Dam
Related arms
van Damvariant spelling
van Damevariant 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
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
greyhoundCourage, vigilance and loyalty
