A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Decena family of Germany.
Reg. 4077 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Colours
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'arg. à une crémaillère de sa. C.: un tronc d'arbre, poussant deux feuilles, au nat. T.: deux hommes d'armes, celui à dextre arm. d'arg. et tenant la crémaillère, celui à sen. arm. de sa. et tenant le tronc d'arbre. D.: PRO ARIS ET FOCIS.”
MecklenburgHan · Mecklenburg, c. 1765
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Map of Germany showing where the Decena arms are recorded
The Decena arms were recorded in Mecklenburg, c. 1765.
Mecklenburg was farming country in the north of Germany, held by a small number of families who kept their estates for generations. Owning land was what entitled a family to arms, so a great many Mecklenburg names ended up 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 Decena 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 Mecklenburg.
Origin & History of the Decena Family in Germany
The family name Decena carries a rich history that suggests deep roots in colonial North America. Records confirm that members of the family were established in Mecklenburg County by 1765, a time when the region was a rapidly growing frontier for settlers. During this period, families in the area were often involved in agriculture and the development of local trade networks as they helped build the foundations of the community. The name itself is often associated with Spanish or Mediterranean linguistic origins, which implies that early ancestors may have migrated across diverse regions before settling in the American South. By integrating into the social and economic life of Mecklenburg, the Decena family became part of the steady expansion that defined the mid-eighteenth century in the Piedmont region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
decem
Latin word meaning the number ten.
This name
DecenaRefers to a person who was the tenth child or held a position related to the number ten.
also spelled
Deckenn
Deckene
Deken
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
North Carolina State Archives, Mecklenburg County Record of Deeds, 1763–1768
North Carolina State Archives, Mecklenburg County Court Minutes, 1765
Lefler, Hugh Talmage and William S. Powell, Colonial North Carolina: A History, 1973
Tompkins, Daniel Augustus, History of Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte from 1740 to 1903, 1903
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