A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gamm family of Germany.
Reg. 6940 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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 trois étoiles d'or, rangées en bande. Cq. cour. C.: une étoile d'or, chaque rai orné d'une plume de paon au nat.; le tout entre deux banderoles adossées d'azur, houppées d'or, attachées à des lances de tournoi du même. L. de gu. et d'azur [Quelquefois les étoiles sont remplacées dans l'écu et sur le cq., par des molettes de gu. percées d'or.]”
MecklenburgMecklenburg, c. 1765
Where the Gamm Arms Were Recorded
Mecklenburg
Map of Germany showing where the Gamm arms are recorded
The Gamm arms were recorded in Mecklenburg, c. 1765.
Mecklenburg was farming country in the north of Germany, held by a small number of families who kept their estates for generations. Owning land was what entitled a family to arms, so a great many Mecklenburg names ended up 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 Gamm 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 Mecklenburg.
Origin & History of the Gamm Family in Germany
The family name Gamm has deep roots in the northern German region of Mecklenburg, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1765. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or a reference to a specific location in the local Low German dialect. In this region, surnames often evolved from personal traits or the geography of the landscape where a family settled. By the mid-18th century, the Gamm family was well-established within the rural and social structures of Mecklenburg. They were part of the hardworking population that shaped the agricultural and civic life of the area during a time of significant transition in German history. As the family grew, they became a consistent part of the local community, leaving behind a legacy that is still tied to the history of northern Germany today.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gamme
Middle Low German term for a hook or a curved object.
This name
GammA topographic or occupational name referring to someone living near a hook-shaped piece of land.
also spelled
Gam
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
