A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gerstein family of Germany.
Reg. 8528 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
lanceKnightly service and the tilt
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“D'azur à un mont de trois coupeaux escarpés au nat., sommés chacun d'une lance d'or.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Gerstein Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Gerstein arms are recorded
The Gerstein 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 Gerstein 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 Gerstein Family in Germany
The surname Gerstein is deeply rooted in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, with historical records confirming the family’s presence in Bavaria by 1765. The name itself is a compound word derived from the German terms "Ger," meaning spear, and "Stein," meaning stone. During the eighteenth century, families often adopted surnames that reflected their local landscape or the tools used in their daily trades. In the context of Bavarian history, this name likely emerged among families living near prominent rocky outcrops or those who worked in the region’s active stone-quarrying industry. As the family established itself in the Bavarian countryside, they became part of the complex social fabric of the Holy Roman Empire, where the movement of people was often tied to agricultural cycles and local craftsmanship. By the mid-1700s, the Gerstein name was already well-integrated into the administrative and parish records of the region, marking the family as long-standing members of their local community.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gerstein
Derived from the German words for spear and stone.
This name
GersteinAn occupational or habitational name referring to someone living near a stone marker or boundary.
also spelled
Gerstein
Hohenstein
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
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
lanceKnightly service and the tilt
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
lanceKnightly service and the tilt
