A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Elbe family of Germany.
Reg. 8076 · 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. à une barre voûtée d'arg., le bord supérieur sommé de trois demi-”
PomeraniaPomerania, c. 1861
Where the Elbe Arms Were Recorded
Map of Germany showing where the Elbe arms are recorded
The Elbe arms were recorded in Pomerania, c. 1861.
Pomerania was flat farming country on the Baltic coast, held in large estates by a small number of families. They kept their land for generations, and generations of landholding is what fills 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.
Frederick William IV of Prussia
Sovereign of the period
Frederick William IV of Prussia
1840–1861
Reigning in Germany when the Elbe arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
Prussian heraldry was strictly tied to social rank and noble status rather than being a free choice for every citizen. These symbols were treated as permanent family property that moved through the generations to all legitimate heirs. If a family branch wanted to change their design to stand out, they had to apply for official permission to alter their specific version of the shield.
Granting authority
The Prussian Heroldsamt acted as the central state office that managed and strictly controlled all noble titles and coats of arms.
How they got arms
Families usually obtained their arms through formal royal grants or by proving their long-standing noble status to the state authorities.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms were kept in the rolls of the Prussian Heroldsamt, which functioned from 1706 until 1918.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Pomerania.
Origin & History of the Elbe Family in Germany
The surname Elbe is a topographic name that likely originated from families living near the Elbe River, which served as a major artery for trade and migration across Central Europe. By the mid-nineteenth century, historical records confirm that members of the Elbe family were well-established in the Pomerania region. This area, located along the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, was a hub of agricultural activity and cultural exchange during the 1860s. Families in this region often moved between rural farming communities and growing urban centers as the local economy shifted toward industrialization. The presence of the Elbe name in Pomeranian civil registries by 1861 suggests that these ancestors were part of a long-standing tradition of settlers who maintained deep ties to the northern German landscape.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Albis
Latin term for a white or bright river.
This name
ElbeA topographic surname referring to someone who lived near the Elbe River.
also spelled
Elbee
Elbey
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Landesarchiv Greifswald, Zivilstandsregister der Provinz Pommern
Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz, General-Adressbuch der Ritterguts- und Gutsbesitzer in der Provinz Pommern
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Heitz, Gerhard, Die ländliche Gesellschaft in Pommern vom 17. bis zum 19. Jahrhundert, 1970
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
