A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ettner family of Germany.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De gu. à un peigne de sa. Cq. cour. C.: un bonnet tartare de sa., orné de houppes d'or et sommé de plumes de coq de sa. L. de gu. et de sa.”
The Ettner arms were recorded in Silesia, c. 1672.
Silesia was farming country in the east of the German lands, held in large estates by families who stayed put for generations. Owning land was what entitled a family to arms, so the region fills a good deal of the register.
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 Ettner 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 family name Ettner traces its roots back to the historical region of Silesia, where members of the family were firmly established by the year 1672. During this period, Silesia was a crossroads of European culture and trade, often influenced by both German and Slavic traditions. The name itself likely originated as a descriptive term or a locational identifier, which was a common practice for families living in the rural or developing urban centers of the Holy Roman Empire. As the family grew, they became integrated into the local social fabric, often working in trades or professional roles that were vital to the regional economy. By the late 17th century, the Ettner name was already recognized within local church and municipal records, marking the family as a stable part of the Silesian community during a time of significant political and religious change.
Old High German word meaning noble or nobility.
