A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fürstenau family of Germany.
Reg. 1226 · German, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
knightChivalry and service in arms
fireZeal and purification
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: au 1 d'or à un homme iss., mouv. du coupé, hab. d'azur, tort. d'arg., le bras dextre étendu et la main ailée, ces ailes coupées alt. d'or et d'azur; au 2 d'azur à trois flammes d'arg., mouv. du coupé. C.: l'homme iss.; entre deux prob., coupées alt. d'or et d'azur. L.: à dextre d'or et d'azur, à sen. d'arg. et d'azur.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Fürstenau Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Fürstenau arms are recorded
The Fürstenau arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1765.
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.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Fürstenau 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 Fürstenau Family in Germany
The family name Fürstenau is a topographic surname, which means it was originally derived from a specific place name. In German, the name combines the words "Fürst," meaning prince, and "Au," which refers to a riverside meadow or wetland. This suggests that the earliest ancestors to adopt the name likely lived on or managed land owned by a prince near a river. By 1765, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in the Bavaria region. During this period, families often took their names from the landscape surrounding their homes to distinguish themselves from others in the community. As these families moved or grew, the name traveled with them, eventually becoming a permanent identifier for their descendants.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Fürst and Au
Prince and a meadow or riverbank near water.
This name
FürstenauRefers to a meadow or riverbank belonging to or associated with a prince.
also spelled
Fuerstenau
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
knightChivalry and service in arms
fireZeal and purification
knightChivalry and service in arms
fireZeal and purification
