A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Flaker family of Germany.
Reg. 1456 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“Coupé d'or sur azur; à un poisson nageant d'arg., br. sur le coupé. C.: un sablier d'arg., entre deux prob. coupées d'azur sur or.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1532
Where the Flaker Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Flaker arms are recorded
The Flaker arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1532.
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.
Charles V
Sovereign of the period
Charles V
1519–1556
Reigning in Germany when the Flaker 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 Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Flaker Family in Germany
The family name Flaker traces its roots back to the southern German region of Bavaria, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1532. During this period, the name likely emerged as a descriptive identifier linked to the local geography or the specific trades practiced by early ancestors. In the sixteenth century, Bavaria was a center of significant social and religious change, and families living there were often tied closely to the land or to the craft guilds that dominated town life. As the name moved through generations, it became a permanent marker of the family's heritage within the Holy Roman Empire. By maintaining a presence in this region during the early modern era, the Flaker family participated in the complex history of central Europe, witnessing the shifts in culture and governance that defined the Bavarian landscape for centuries.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Flach
A German term meaning flat or level ground.
This name
FlakerAn occupational name for someone who worked with flax or lived on flat land.
also spelled
Pflacherer
Flacher
Pflachner
Flaker
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
