A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Döring family of Germany.
Reg. 1152 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“De gu. au lion d'arg. Cq. cour. C.: une colonne de gu., supp. un écran circulaire aux armes de l'écu, orné à l'entour de trois panaches, chacun de trois pl. d'aut. alt. d'arg. et de gu.”
MecklenburgHan · Mecklenburg, c. 1630
Where the Döring Arms Were Recorded
Mecklenburg
Map of Germany showing where the Döring arms are recorded
The Döring arms were recorded in Mecklenburg, c. 1630.
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.
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
1619–1637
Reigning in Germany when the Döring 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 Döring Family in Germany
The surname Döring is a German name that traces its roots back to the medieval period, originating as a descriptive term for people who migrated from the region of Thuringia. In the German language, the name is a variation of "Thüringer," which simply means a person from that specific area. By the time the family was firmly established in Mecklenburg by 1630, the name had evolved into its current spelling through regional dialect changes. During the seventeenth century, families in Mecklenburg often lived as farmers or tradespeople in small rural villages. Life in this region during the 1630s was particularly difficult due to the ongoing turmoil of the Thirty Years' War, which forced many families to remain closely tied to their local parishes for safety and record-keeping. Because of these historical pressures, the Döring family became deeply integrated into the social and agricultural fabric of northern Germany, where they maintained their identity through generations of local community life.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Doro
Derived from the Germanic name Theodoric meaning ruler of the people.
This name
DöringA patronymic surname indicating a descendant of someone named Doro or Theodoric.
also spelled
Doering
Dering
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, 1972
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Landeshauptarchiv Schwerin, Kirchenbücher der mecklenburgischen Landeskirche, 1630
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
