A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gils family of Germany.
Reg. 1857 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
Colours
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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)
“De sin. à trois fasces ondées d'arg. C. : un vol, aux armes de l'écu.”
SaxonySaxony, c. 1765
Where the Gils Arms Were Recorded
Saxony
Map of Germany showing where the Gils arms are recorded
The Gils arms were recorded in Saxony, c. 1765.
Saxony had mines, trade and old landed families all at once. Silver made some fortunes and land held others, and both sorts of family kept arms, which is why Saxon names appear so often 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 Gils 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 Saxony.
Origin & History of the Gils Family in Germany
The family name Gils finds its roots in the Germanic regions of Europe, with documented evidence placing members of the family in Saxony by the year 1765. The name is generally considered a patronymic, which means it likely evolved from a shortened version of a longer given name such as Aegidius or Gilbert. During the mid-eighteenth century, Saxony was a hub of agricultural and industrial growth, and families like the Gils were often involved in the local trades or farming communities that defined the region. As people began to move more frequently between villages and towns, the use of a fixed surname became essential for legal and tax records. By settling in Saxony during this period, the early Gils family became part of a long tradition of central European migration and social development that helped shape the modern identity of the region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Aegidius
Derived from the Greek word for a goatskin shield or protection.
This name
GilsA patronymic form originating as a short version of the saint's name Aegidius.
also spelled
Gilz
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 Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Sächsisches Staatsarchiv, Kirchenbücher der evangelisch-lutherischen Landeskirche Sachsens, 1765
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
