A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ecker family of Germany.
Reg. 6904 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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 la bande d'or, ch. de trois roses de gu. Cq. cour. C.: une rose de gu.; entre deux prob., coupées alt. d'or et d'azur.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1765
Where the Ecker Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Ecker arms are recorded
The Ecker arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1765.
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 Ecker 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 Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Ecker Family in Germany
The surname Ecker is a topographic name that originated in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, specifically derived from the Middle High German word "ecke," which refers to a corner, a wedge of land, or a sharp ridge. Families who carried this name often lived near a prominent corner of a field, a sharp bend in a river, or a jagged mountain spur. By the mid-18th century, the Ecker family was well-established in the Bavarian region, a time when rural families were deeply tied to the specific geography of their local villages. In 1765, individuals bearing this name were likely involved in the agricultural life of the Bavarian countryside, where their surname served as a practical way to identify their ancestral homesteads or the specific plots of land they cultivated. Over generations, this descriptive name became a permanent family identifier, linking the people to the distinct physical features of the landscape they called home.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ecke
A corner, edge, or a sharp angle of land.
This name
EckerA topographic name for someone who lived near a corner or a field edge.
also spelled
Eckar
Related arms
Ferdinandsimilar arms
Eckhervariant spelling
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, 1967
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
