A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Emrich family of Germany.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Barry of six or and sa”
The Emrich 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.
Reigning in Germany when the Emrich arms are first recorded.
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.
The surname Emrich is a variation of the ancient Germanic name Emmerich, which is composed of the elements "ermen," meaning whole or universal, and "ric," meaning power or ruler. By the mid-eighteenth century, families bearing this name were well-established in the region of Bavaria. During this period, the social structure of the Bavarian countryside was largely defined by agricultural labor and local craftsmanship. Families like the Emrichs were often deeply connected to their specific villages, where they served as farmers, tradesmen, or artisans. Because records from 1765 confirm their presence in this area, we know that these early ancestors lived through a time of significant transition as the region moved toward the modern administrative structures of the late Holy Roman Empire. The name itself reflects a long tradition of Germanic naming conventions that emphasized strength and leadership, traits that were highly valued in the tight-knit rural communities of Southern Germany.
A combination of the Germanic elements for home and ruler.
