A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Feltman family of Germany.
Reg. 4989 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“Parti, de sa. à une étoile d'arg., et de gu. à une étoile d'arg.; au chef d'arg., br. sur le parti et ch. de la Croix de fer. C.: un vol, de sa. et de gu., chaque aile ch. sur le sommet d'une étoile d'arg. L.: à dextre d'arg. et de sa., à sen. d'arg. et de gu.”
Germanyc. 1871
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Map of Germany showing where the Feltman arms are recorded
The Feltman arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1871.
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.
Wilhelm I
Sovereign of the period
Wilhelm I
1861–1888
Reigning in Germany when the Feltman arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
Prussian heraldry was strictly tied to social rank and noble status rather than being a free choice for every citizen. These symbols were treated as permanent family property that moved through the generations to all legitimate heirs. If a family branch wanted to change their design to stand out, they had to apply for official permission to alter their specific version of the shield.
Granting authority
The Prussian Heroldsamt acted as the central state office that managed and strictly controlled all noble titles and coats of arms.
How they got arms
Families usually obtained their arms through formal royal grants or by proving their long-standing noble status to the state authorities.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms were kept in the rolls of the Prussian Heroldsamt, which functioned from 1706 until 1918.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Germany.
Origin & History of the Feltman Family in Germany
The surname Feltman is rooted in the Germanic linguistic tradition, likely originating as a topographic or occupational descriptor. In the regions of Bavaria, the name evolved from Middle High German terms that often referred to someone living near a field or a stretch of open land. By the time of the German Unification in 1871, families bearing this name were well-established within the Bavarian social fabric. During this period, the region was undergoing significant industrial and political changes, which often encouraged families to document their local ties through parish registers and civil census records. These early ancestors were likely part of the agrarian or artisan classes that defined the local economy of the nineteenth-century German Empire. The name serves as a historical marker of a family that maintained deep roots in the rural and developing urban landscapes of Southern Germany.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Feld
A field, open land, or a plain.
This name
FeltmanA person who lived or worked on a field or open land.
also spelled
Feldman
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
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
