A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Eckl family of Germany.
Reg. 0627 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Tiercé en fasce d'azur, d'arg. et de gu., l'arg. ch. d'une étoile (8) partie d'or et de sa. Cq. cour. C.: l'étoile; entre deux prob. tiercées en fasce, celle à dextre de gu., d'arg. et d'azur, celle à sen. d'or, de sa. et d'or, ornées chacune dans son embouchure d'un coing d'azur. L.: à dextre d'or et de sa., à sen. d'arg. et de gu.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Eckl Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Eckl arms are recorded
The Eckl arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1765.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bavaria.
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 Eckl 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 Germany.
Origin & History of the Eckl Family in Germany
The surname Eckl is a traditional Bavarian name that originated as a topographic descriptor for people living near a corner or a sharp bend in a landscape. In the Middle Ages, the German word *Ecke* referred to a corner of a field, a street, or a plot of land, and the suffix *l* was commonly added as a diminutive to denote someone who lived at or near such a spot. By the time records confirm the family presence in Bavaria in 1765, the name had become a well-established identifier for local families living in the rural districts of the region. These early ancestors were likely farmers or craftsmen who lived in small villages where their specific location defined their social identity within the community. Over generations, the name became a permanent family designation that was passed down as the family settled into the cultural and social fabric of southern Germany.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ecke
A corner, edge, or a sharp angle of land.
This name
EcklA topographic name for someone who lived near a corner or a sharp bend in a road.
also spelled
Eckel
Related arms
Eckelvariant 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
Kohlheim, Rosa and Kohlheim, Volker, Duden Familiennamen: Herkunft und Bedeutung von 20.000 Nachnamen, 2005
