A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dern family of Germany.
Reg. 6540 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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'azur à trois gerbes d'arg.; au chef d'or. C.: deux prob., coupées d'or sur azur, entre deux feuilles de sin. L. d'azur et de gu. [V. Frey de Dern.]”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Dern Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Dern arms are recorded
The Dern 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 Dern 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 Dern Family in Germany
The family name Dern has deep roots in the historical region of Bavaria, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1765. The name is likely topographic in origin, meaning it was originally used to describe the specific landscape where a family lived. In the German language, the term "dern" or "dorn" often relates to thorny bushes or thickets, suggesting that the earliest ancestors may have settled near a prominent patch of brambles or a wooded area. During the eighteenth century, families in rural Bavaria were often identified by their proximity to local landmarks, which helped neighbors distinguish between different households in the same village. As these families grew and moved, the name became a permanent marker of their heritage, connecting them to the agricultural traditions and the rugged geography of the Bavarian countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Dern
Derived from the Middle High German term for a hidden place.
This name
DernRefers to someone who lived in a secluded, secret, or hidden location.
also spelled
Derne
Dernn
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
