A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dollen family of Germany.
Reg. 7991 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
leafHappiness and abundance
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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 chicot de sa., en barre, poussant trois feuilles de sin., 2 à dextre et 1 à sen. C.: trois pl. d'aut.: de gu., d'or et d'azur. L.: à dextre d'or et de gu., à sen. d'or et d'azur.”
PomeraniaPomerania, c. 1765
Where the Dollen Arms Were Recorded
Map of Germany showing where the Dollen arms are recorded
The Dollen arms were recorded in Pomerania, c. 1765.
Pomerania was flat farming country on the Baltic coast, held in large estates by a small number of families. They kept their land for generations, and generations of landholding is what fills 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 Dollen 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 Pomerania.
Origin & History of the Dollen Family in Germany
The family name Dollen has deep roots in the historical region of Pomerania, where members of the family were documented as early as 1765. During the eighteenth century, Pomerania was a diverse territory that shifted between various political powers, creating a unique environment for families to establish their livelihoods. The name likely originated as a topographic surname, which was a common practice in Northern Germany for identifying people based on the specific landscape features near their homes. In the local dialect, the term often related to low-lying or marshy ground, suggesting that the earliest ancestors were likely farmers or laborers who worked the fertile but damp soils of the Baltic coast. As these families grew, they became part of the steady agricultural expansion that defined the Pomeranian countryside during the late 1700s, helping to shape the rural communities that existed long before the modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Doll
A nickname derived from a pet form of the name Dorothea.
This name
DollenA patronymic or locative surname indicating a descendant of someone named Doll.
also spelled
Dolen
Dollene
Dollenn
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Brüggemann, Ludwig Wilhelm. Ausführliche Beschreibung des gegenwärtigen Zustandes des Königl. Preußischen Herzogthums Vor- und Hinter-Pommern. 1779
State Archive in Greifswald (Landesarchiv Greifswald), Rep. 65a, Kirchenbücher der Provinz Pommern
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