A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Effinger family of Germany.
Reg. 4730 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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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 chev. ployé d'arg. C.: un buste d'homme, hab. aux armes de l'écu, coiffé d'un bonnet de gu., retr. d'arg.”
SwabiaSwabia, c. 1765
Where the Effinger Arms Were Recorded
Swabia
Map of Germany showing where the Effinger arms are recorded
The Effinger arms were recorded in Swabia, c. 1765.
Swabia was broken into a great many small territories in southern Germany, and each had its own landowners and its own leading townsmen. That fragmentation produced an unusual number of families with 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.
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 Effinger 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 Swabia.
Origin & History of the Effinger Family in Germany
The family name Effinger traces its roots back to the historic region of Swabia in southwestern Germany. By the year 1765, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in this area, which was known for its dense forests and complex network of small feudal territories. The name itself is likely topographic or locational in origin, derived from the Old High German language. It suggests that the earliest ancestors lived near a specific settlement or a geographic feature characterized by a stream or a valley. During the eighteenth century, families in Swabia were often deeply connected to the local agricultural economy and the craft guilds that defined village life. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the region, contributing to the local community through farming, trade, and regional governance during a time of significant political change in the Holy Roman Empire.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Effe
A diminutive form of names beginning with the element eber meaning boar.
This name
EffingerDescendant of the person known as Effe, likely representing a family from Effingen.
also spelled
Effinger von Zurich
Effinger zu Zuerich
Effinger de Zuric
Effinger de Zurk
Effinger
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann. Etymologisches Wörterbuch der Deutschen Familiennamen. 1957
Kohlheim, Rosa and Volker Kohlheim. Duden Familiennamen: Herkunft und Bedeutung von 20.000 Nachnamen. 2005
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