A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Falkenstein family lines. Documented in 2 countries.
Reg. 3498 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
falconOne eager and quick in pursuit
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 à trois faucons d'arg. Cq. cour. C.: un faucon ess. d'arg.”
AlsaceAlsace, c. 1663
Where the Falkenstein Arms Were Recorded
Alsace
Map of France showing where the Falkenstein arms are recorded
The Falkenstein arms were recorded in Alsace, c. 1663.
Alsace lay between France and the German lands and belonged to both at different times. Its families held small estates and served whichever side ruled, and men who served in arms carried arms of their own.
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 France in this period.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Falkenstein arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in France
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
Granting authority
The Juge d'armes de France acted as the official authority that regulated and verified coats of arms across the country.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms from ancestors, though they could also receive them through royal grants or by proving their noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Armorial Général de France, which began its main collection in the year 1696.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Alsace.
Origin & History of the Falkenstein Family in France
The family name Falkenstein traces its roots to the border regions where Germanic and French cultures have long overlapped. By 1663, records confirm that members of the family were established in the Alsace region, a territory that frequently shifted between French and German influence during the seventeenth century. The name itself is derived from the German words for falcon and stone, likely referencing a rugged landscape or a specific rocky outcrop where early ancestors lived or held land. During this period, families in Alsace often navigated a complex social landscape as the region transitioned under the authority of the French crown following the Peace of Westphalia. Living in this crossroads allowed the Falkenstein family to participate in the unique cultural exchange of the Rhine valley, where they adapted to the administrative and linguistic shifts of early modern France while maintaining their ancestral identity.
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
falconOne eager and quick in pursuit
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à un faucon d'azur, le vol ouv. et abaissé, entre deux fasces voûtées de gu. C.: deux têtes et cols de coq adossées, crêtées et barbées de gu.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Falkenstein Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Falkenstein arms are recorded
The Falkenstein 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.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in France when the Falkenstein arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
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.
Granting authority
The Holy Roman Emperor held the sole power to grant new coats of arms throughout his vast imperial territories.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal imperial grant or by proving their noble status to the authorities.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Imperial Chancery registers, which began keeping formal records of such honors during the Middle Ages.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Germany.
Origin & History of the Falkenstein Family in Germany
The name Falkenstein is a locational surname that originated in the rugged landscapes of medieval Germany. It is derived from the German words for falcon and rock, which suggests that the earliest ancestors likely lived near a prominent cliffside or a castle where falcons nested. By the mid-eighteenth century, records confirm that members of the family were established in the region of Bavaria. During this era, life in Bavaria was deeply influenced by the transition from feudal traditions to the early stages of modern administrative record-keeping. Families like the Falkensteins were often tied to the land through agricultural work or local trade, and they lived through a time of significant social change as the Bavarian Electorate began to formalize census data and parish registers. These early records from 1765 serve as a vital anchor, showing that the family was part of the stable, hardworking population that helped define the cultural identity of southern Germany during the Enlightenment.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Falken and Stein
Falcon and stone or rock.
This name
FalkensteinRefers to a falcon's rock or a castle built upon a rocky crag.
also spelled
Falckenstein
Falkensteyn
Falkenstine
Related arms
Falckensteinvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Bas-Rhin, Série E (Registres paroissiaux et état civil)
Kintz, Jean-Pierre, La société alsacienne au XVIIe siècle, 1984
Livet, Georges, L'Alsace et les provinces du Rhin au XVIIe siècle, 1956
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falconOne eager and quick in pursuit
falconOne eager and quick in pursuit
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
