A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Federer family of Switzerland.
Reg. 5921 · Swiss, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
feathersWilling obedience and serenity
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 un panache de trois pl. d'aut. d'arg. C.: le panache.”
SwitzerlandBaden Argovie, c. 1745
Where the Federer Arms Were Recorded
Baden
Map of Switzerland showing where the Federer arms are recorded
The Federer arms were recorded in Baden Argovie, 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.
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 Federer Family in Switzerland
The family name Federer originates from the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically emerging as a descriptive occupational surname. In the Middle Ages, names were often chosen based on a person’s trade, and the term Federer likely referred to someone who worked with feathers, such as a fletcher who made arrows or a merchant who traded in down for bedding. By 1745, records confirm that members of the Federer family were well-established in the region of Baden, Germany. During this period, families in Baden were typically tied to the land through agriculture or specialized local crafts. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the rural villages in the Rhine valley, where they lived as farmers, artisans, and community members for generations. The name serves as a historical link to these early ancestors who helped shape the local economy and culture of southwestern Germany.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Feder
Germanic term referring to a feather or a quill.
This name
FedererAn occupational surname for a person who worked with feathers or a fletcher.
also spelled
Federar
Feder
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen, 1957
Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe, Kirchenbücher der Pfarreien im Großherzogtum Baden, 1745
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feathersWilling obedience and serenity
feathersWilling obedience and serenity
