A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Foyer family of Germany.
Reg. 7517 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
knightChivalry and service in arms
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Ec.: aux 1 et 4 de gu. à un homme d'armes, arm. au nat., tenant de sa main dextre une grenade allumée et de sa sen. une branche de laurier; aux 2 et 3 d'arg. à deux demi-vols adossés de sa. Sur le tout d'azur à un F d'or.”
Germanyc. 1702
Where the Foyer Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Foyer arms are recorded
The Foyer arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1702.
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.
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
1658–1705
Reigning in Germany when the Foyer 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 Foyer Family in Germany
The surname Foyer has deep roots in the historical region of Bavaria, where records confirm the family was established by the year 1702. The name is widely believed to be occupational or topographic in origin, likely derived from the Middle High German word for a hearth or a fireplace. In the rural societies of the eighteenth century, a family living near a central community fire or working as keepers of a hearth would have been easily identified by this name. As the family grew, they integrated into the local agricultural and artisanal structures of the Bavarian countryside. Their presence in these early church and municipal records suggests that the Foyer family were settled members of their community who contributed to the local economy and social life of the region long before the modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
focarium
Latin term referring to a hearth or fireplace.
This name
FoyerAn occupational surname for a person who tended a hearth or fireplace.
also spelled
Foyer
Fire
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
knightChivalry and service in arms
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
knightChivalry and service in arms
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
