A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ganser family of Germany.
Reg. 5758 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
duckResourcefulness on land and water
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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 d'azur à une oie d'arg., posée sur un tertre de gu.; aux 2 et 3 d'arg. à l'aigle naiss. de sa., mouv. de la p. Cq. cour. C.: les meubles du 1; entre deux prob., coupées alt. d'azur et d'arg. L. d'arg. et d'azur.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Ganser Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Ganser arms are recorded
The Ganser 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 Ganser 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 Ganser Family in Germany
The surname Ganser traces its roots to the southern German region of Bavaria, where the name was well-established by the mid-eighteenth century. Linguists believe the name originated as a descriptive nickname derived from the Middle High German word "gans," which means goose. In medieval village life, such names were often given to individuals who raised geese, worked as poultry merchants, or perhaps possessed a personality trait associated with the bird. By 1765, families bearing this name were integrated into the local agricultural and social structures of the Bavarian countryside. These early ancestors were likely part of the hardworking rural population that sustained the regional economy through farming and trade. Over time, the name became a permanent fixture in local parish registers, marking the family as a stable and enduring presence in the history of the region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gans
A Germanic word referring to a goose.
This name
GanserAn occupational surname for a goose herder or a nickname for someone with goose-like traits.
also spelled
Gans
Gansere
Related arms
Gansvariant spelling
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
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
duckResourcefulness on land and water
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
duckResourcefulness on land and water
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
