Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Parti: au 1 d'or à un ange, tenant une épée, le tout au nat.;”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Engle family lines. Documented in 3 countries.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Parti: au 1 d'or à un ange, tenant une épée, le tout au nat.;”
The Engle arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1656.
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.
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 name Engle is deeply rooted in the Germanic linguistic tradition, where it originated as a descriptive term linked to the ancient Germanic tribes known as the Angles. In the context of early German history, the name often functioned as a nickname or a personal identifier that evolved into a permanent family surname. By the mid-seventeenth century, records confirm that families bearing this name were well-established in the region of Bavaria. Life for these early ancestors was defined by the agricultural rhythms of the Holy Roman Empire, where families were typically tied to specific village communities and local parish churches. Because the name was tied to regional identity, it spread across the Bavarian landscape as families moved between rural estates and growing market towns to seek new opportunities in trade or farming. These early Engle ancestors lived through a period of significant social transition following the Thirty Years' War, which shaped the way families recorded their births, marriages, and deaths in official church registers.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à un ange sur une terrasse d'azur, les cheveux blonds épars, ailé d'azur, hab. d'une dalmatique partie de gu. et d'azur, tenant une épée d'arg., garnie d'or. Deux cq. cour. C.: 1° un lion iss. d'or, tenant de ses pattes un pennon de gu.; entre un vol de sa.; l. d'or et de gu.; 2° cinq pl. d'aut., alt. d'or et d'azur; l. d'or et d'azur.”
The Engle arms were recorded in Austria, c. 1739.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Tyrol.
Tyrol was mountain country in western Austria, where the valleys were held by families who had been there a very long time. Old tenure counted for more than money, and old families carried 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.
Austrian coats of arms were often linked directly to noble titles granted by the Emperor. These symbols belonged to the entire family line rather than just one individual. When a family grew, new branches kept the original design without needing to change it. This system allowed all members of a noble house to share the same identity across many generations.
The family name Engle traces its roots to the rugged landscape of the Austrian Tyrol, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1739. In this mountainous region, the name likely emerged as a descriptive identifier linked to the German word for angel, often used as a nickname for a person with a gentle or pious disposition. During the eighteenth century, families in Tyrol were deeply tied to the land and the local parish system, which served as the primary method for tracking births, marriages, and deaths. Life in the Alpine valleys required significant resilience, and the Engle family would have participated in the traditional agricultural and trade practices that defined the social structure of the Habsburg territories. As the family established itself in these high-altitude communities, they became part of the long-standing cultural tapestry of the region, contributing to the local economy and the distinct traditions that have characterized Tyrolean life for centuries.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ec.: aux 1 et 4 de gu. à la bande d'arg., ch. de trois roses du champ; aux 2 et 3 d'azur au lion d'or, celui du 3 cont. Cq. cour. C.: un ange, hab. d'or, ceint du même, ailé d'arg., tenant de sa main dextre un lis de jardin d'arg., tigé et feuillé de sin. L.: à dextre d'arg. et de gu., à sen. d'or et d'azur.”
The Engle arms were recorded in Bâle, c. 1745.
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.
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.
The family name Engle has deep roots in the region surrounding Bâle, Switzerland, where records confirm members of the family were established by 1745. The name is derived from the Middle High German word *engel*, which translates to angel. In the social context of eighteenth-century Switzerland, such names often functioned as descriptive nicknames or were linked to religious imagery common in local culture. Families with this name were typically integrated into the hardworking merchant or artisan classes that defined the city’s economy during the Enlightenment. As the family grew, they became part of the local civic fabric, participating in the trade guilds and community life that characterized the Swiss cantons of that era. Their presence in Bâle reflects a broader history of families who contributed to the stability and professional growth of the region during a time of significant cultural change.
A Germanic tribal name referring to the Angles people.


