A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dost family of Austria.
Reg. 3633 · Austrian, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
feathersWilling obedience and serenity
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Ec.: aux 1 et 4 d'azur à une étoile d'or; au 2 d'arg. à un panache de trois pl. d'aut., une d'azur entre deux de gu., percé d'une flèche d'or en fasce; au 3 comme au 2, sauf que les plumes sont d'azur, de gu. et d'azur. Deux cq. cour. C.: 1º les meubles du 3, la pointe de la flèche à sen.; 1. d'or et d'azur; 2º les meubles du 2; 1. d'arg. et de gu.”
Austriac. 1808
Where the Dost Arms Were Recorded
Tyrol
Map of Austria showing where the Dost arms are recorded
The Dost arms were recorded in Austria, c. 1808.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Tyrol.
Tyrol was mountain country in western Austria, where the valleys were held by families who had been there a very long time. Old tenure counted for more than money, and old families carried 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.
Region
Tyrol
First recorded
1808
Granting Authority for the Dost Arms
Imperial and Royal chancery
Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Austria in this period.
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
1804–1835
Reigning in Austria when the Dost arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Austria
Austrian coats of arms were often linked directly to noble titles granted by the Emperor. These symbols belonged to the entire family line rather than just one individual. When a family grew, new branches kept the original design without needing to change it. This system allowed all members of a noble house to share the same identity across many generations.
Granting authority
The Imperial and Royal chancery managed all heraldic matters and controlled the official granting of arms throughout the Austrian lands.
How they got arms
Families typically received their arms through a formal imperial decree that often accompanied the elevation of a person to noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Official records of these grants were kept in the Imperial Register of Nobility which began its formal documentation process in 1453.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Austria.
Origin & History of the Dost Family in Austria
The family name Dost has deep roots in the Alpine regions of Central Europe, with documented evidence placing members of the family in the Tyrol area by 1808. The name likely originated as a descriptive term or a nickname in the Middle High German language, where the word "dost" referred to various types of wild plants or herbs, such as marjoram or wild thyme. It is common for surnames from this period to be derived from the local landscape or the specific trade of an ancestor who may have worked as a gatherer of medicinal herbs or lived near a prominent patch of wild vegetation. As families began to settle into fixed communities, these descriptive labels became permanent identifiers passed down through generations. By the early nineteenth century, the Dost family was well-established within the social and agricultural fabric of the Tyrolean mountains, reflecting a long history of life in the rugged terrain of the Eastern Alps.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Dost
Derived from the Middle High German word for marjoram or oregano.
This name
DostAn occupational name for a grower or seller of aromatic herbs.
also spelled
Dost
Dostenberg
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives: Tiroler Landesarchiv, Standesbücher (Tauf-, Trauungs- und Sterbebücher)
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
feathersWilling obedience and serenity
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
feathersWilling obedience and serenity
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
