A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dobbe family of Germany.
Reg. 1249 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
wheelFortune's turning, and the carter's trade
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à une roue d'or. C.: un chapeau de gu., retr. d'or, sommé d'une roue du même.”
WestphaliaWestphalia, c. 1765
Where the Dobbe Arms Were Recorded
Westphalia
Map of Germany showing where the Dobbe arms are recorded
The Dobbe arms were recorded in Westphalia, c. 1765.
Westphalia was a land of small estates and fortified farmhouses in western Germany. Its families were numerous and not especially rich, but each held its own ground, and holding ground was what brought arms.
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 Dobbe 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 Westphalia.
Origin & History of the Dobbe Family in Germany
The family name Dobbe has deep roots in the Westphalia region of Germany, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1765. The name likely originated as a topographic or habitational surname, which was a common practice in the Holy Roman Empire during the late medieval and early modern periods. In the local Westphalian dialect, names of this structure often referred to people living near a specific landscape feature, such as a small depression, a hollow, or a low-lying area of land. As families in this rural region grew, they became closely tied to the local agricultural economy and the village social structures of the time. By the mid-18th century, the Dobbe family was part of a stable community of farmers and tradespeople who helped define the cultural identity of the Westphalian countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Dober
Derived from the Middle Low German word for a dove or pigeon.
This name
DobbeA topographic or habitational name referring to someone who lived near a place frequented by doves.
also spelled
Dobbee
Dobby
Dobe
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bischoff, Johannes, Westfälische Familiennamen und ihre Herkunft, 1954
LWL-Archivamt für Westfalen, Kirchenbücher der katholischen Kirchengemeinden im Bistum Münster, 1765
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
wheelFortune's turning, and the carter's trade
wheelFortune's turning, and the carter's trade
