A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gantz family of Austria.
Reg. 1757 · Austrian, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
antelopeHarmony, polity and peace
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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 tranché d'arg. sur gu.; à un chamois ramp. au nat., br. sur le tout et soutenu d'un tertre d'or; aux 2 et 3 de sa. à la fasce d'or. Cq. cour. C.: un chamois iss. au nat., entre un vol, l'aile dextre taillée d'or sur sa., l'aile sen. tranchée d'arg. sur gu. L. conformes aux émaux du vol.”
Austriac. 1772
Where the Gantz Arms Were Recorded
Tyrol
Map of Austria showing where the Gantz arms are recorded
The Gantz arms were recorded in Austria, c. 1772.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Tyrol.
Tyrol was mountain country in western Austria, where the valleys were held by families who had been there a very long time. Old tenure counted for more than money, and old families carried 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.
Region
Tyrol
First recorded
1772
Granting Authority for the Gantz Arms
Imperial and Royal chancery
Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Austria in this period.
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
1765–1790
Reigning in Austria when the Gantz arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Austria
Austrian coats of arms were often linked directly to noble titles granted by the Emperor. These symbols belonged to the entire family line rather than just one individual. When a family grew, new branches kept the original design without needing to change it. This system allowed all members of a noble house to share the same identity across many generations.
Granting authority
The Imperial and Royal chancery managed all heraldic matters and controlled the official granting of arms throughout the Austrian lands.
How they got arms
Families typically received their arms through a formal imperial decree that often accompanied the elevation of a person to noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Official records of these grants were kept in the Imperial Register of Nobility which began its formal documentation process in 1453.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Austria.
Origin & History of the Gantz Family in Austria
The surname Gantz has deep roots in the Alpine region of Tyrol, where families bearing this name were well-established by the late eighteenth century. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname in the German-speaking territories, possibly derived from the Middle High German word for a goose or a person with a specific physical trait. During the 1700s, the people of Tyrol lived in a rugged landscape that shaped their daily lives, focusing heavily on agriculture, mountain trade, and local craftsmanship. Families in this area were often tied closely to their specific mountain valleys, where they maintained records of births, marriages, and land ownership within their local parish churches. By 1772, the Gantz family was already a part of this traditional social structure, living through a period of significant change as the region navigated the complex political shifts of the Habsburg Monarchy.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ganz
Germanic term meaning whole, entire, or complete.
This name
GantzA descriptive nickname for a person who was considered whole, healthy, or perhaps someone who was blunt.
also spelled
Gans
Gants
Related arms
Gansvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Egger, Joseph, Geschichte Tirols von den ältesten Zeiten bis in die Neuzeit, 1872
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
antelopeHarmony, polity and peace
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
antelopeHarmony, polity and peace
