A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the End family of Switzerland.
Reg. 0527 · Swiss, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“D'azur au léopard lionné d'arg., lamp. de gu., arm. d'or. C.: un chapeau pyramidal de sa., sommé d'une queue de paon au nat.”
Switzerlandc. 1745
Where the End Arms Were Recorded
Bern
Map of Switzerland showing where the End arms are recorded
The End arms were recorded in Switzerland, c. 1745.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bern.
Bern was the largest of the Swiss cantons and ran itself, with its own council and its own courts. Its governing families held office for generations, and office of that kind carried a shield with it.
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 Switzerland in this period.
How Arms Worked in Switzerland
In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.
Granting authority
Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms
Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.
Origin & History of the End Family in Switzerland
The family name End has deep roots in the Swiss city of Bern, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1745. During this period, Bern was a powerful city-state governed by a strict social hierarchy, and families like the End line were often integrated into the local urban economy. The name itself likely originated as a topographical surname, which was a common practice in the German-speaking regions of Europe. This type of name was typically given to individuals who lived at the edge of a village, near a boundary line, or at the end of a specific street. As the family grew, they became part of the steady development of Bernese society, contributing to the local trades and civic life that defined the region during the eighteenth century. By settling in such a prominent administrative center, the early members of the family secured a place within the historical fabric of the Swiss Confederation.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ende
Old High German word meaning boundary, border, or edge of land.
This name
EndRefers to a person who lived at the edge of a settlement or boundary.
also spelled
Endee
Ende
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Kirchenbücher der Stadt Bern (Church records of the city of Bern)
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Bürgerrodel der Stadt Bern (Citizenship registers of the city of Bern)
Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz, Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz (1989)
Dubler, Anne-Marie, Stadt und Land in der Schweiz des 18. Jahrhunderts (1990)
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
