A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Frondorf family of Germany.
Reg. 5754 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
ostrichWilling obedience and serious thought
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 une autruche pass. d'arg., cour. d'or, tenant de sa patte dextre trois flèches d'arg.”
FranconiaFranconia, c. 1765
Where the Frondorf Arms Were Recorded
Franconia
Map of Germany showing where the Frondorf arms are recorded
The Frondorf arms were recorded in Franconia, c. 1765.
Franconia was a patchwork of small territories in central Germany, full of minor landowners and prosperous market towns. So many separate households held land there that the region produced a great many coats of arms.
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 Frondorf 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 Franconia.
Origin & History of the Frondorf Family in Germany
The family name Frondorf finds its roots in the historical region of Franconia, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1765. The name itself is likely topographic in origin, meaning it was used to describe the specific land or village where the family lived. In the German language, the suffix "dorf" translates to village, while the prefix "Fron" often referred to land held by a lord or the church. This suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely farmers or laborers who lived on a managed estate within the Franconian countryside. Over the generations, as families moved from these rural settlements to larger towns, the name served as a way to identify their ancestral home and their place within the local social structure.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Fron-Dorf
Lord or estate combined with a small village or settlement.
This name
FrondorfRefers to a person living in a village belonging to a lord.
also spelled
Frondorf
Frohndorff
Frohndor
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bauer, Richard. Bayerisches Jahrbuch für Volkskunde. 1965
Staatsarchiv Bamberg. Standesamtliche Unterlagen und Kirchenbücher der Region Franken. 1765
Bahlow, Hans. Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt. 1967
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
ostrichWilling obedience and serious thought
ostrichWilling obedience and serious thought
