A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fortner family of Germany.
Reg. 7659 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
heronPatience and quiet watchfulness
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)
“De sa. à une cigogne d'arg., tenant en son bec une anguille du même; le champ chapé d'un losangé, à dextre de gu. et d'arg., et à sen. de sa. et d'arg. C.: la cigogne, entre un vol à l'antique coupé, l'aile dextre de sa. sur arg., la sen. d'azur sur or. L.: à dextre d'or et de sa., à sen. d'arg. et de gu.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1765
Where the Fortner Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Fortner arms are recorded
The Fortner arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1765.
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 Germany when the Fortner 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 Fortner Family in Germany
The family name Fortner originates from the historical regions of southern Germany, specifically within the borders of Bavaria. Records confirm that members of the family were well established in this area by 1765. The name is occupational in nature and is derived from the Middle High German word *fortner*, which referred to a person who lived near or worked at a river crossing or a ford. During the eighteenth century, families with this name were often integrated into the local agricultural or trade communities of the Bavarian countryside. As the population grew, the name became a permanent marker of these families who maintained the vital paths and crossings necessary for travel and commerce in the region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Fort
Derived from the Latin word fortis meaning strong or brave.
This name
FortnerAn occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked at a fortress or fortification.
also spelled
Fortnerr
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
heronPatience and quiet watchfulness
heronPatience and quiet watchfulness
