A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Goltz family of Germany.
Reg. 5261 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
falconOne eager and quick in pursuit
ringFidelity, and a promise kept
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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 au lion naiss. d'or, celut du 1 cont.; aux 2 et 3 d'or à un faucon au nat., supp. de sa patte levée une bague du champ, châtonnée d'un rubis: le faucon du 3 cont. Quatre cq. cour. C.: 1° le faucon du 3; 2° trois pl. d'aut.: d'or, de gu. et d'azur; 3° un bras arm., tenant une épée, le tout au nat.; 4° le lion du 4. L. d'or et d'azur. D.: VITA ET SANGUINE.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Goltz Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Goltz arms are recorded
The Goltz 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 Goltz 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 Goltz Family in Germany
The family name Goltz has deep roots in the German-speaking regions of Europe, with historical records placing members of the family in Bavaria by 1765. The name itself is thought to be topographic, meaning it likely described the landscape where the earliest ancestors lived or worked. In many cases, this name was associated with people who resided near a wooded area or a clearing, as the term is linked to older linguistic roots describing forests. During the eighteenth century, families with this name were often part of the rural or growing merchant classes in southern Germany. As they moved through the region, they contributed to the local agricultural and trade economies that defined Bavarian life during that era. By settling in this area, the early Goltz family became part of a long tradition of families who helped shape the social and cultural identity of their local communities.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gol
A Slavic term referring to someone who is bare or naked.
This name
GoltzA topographic name for someone living on a bare or treeless hill.
also spelled
Golz
Golts
Related arms
Borbone de Monte Santa-Mariasimilar arms
Broeckmansimilar arms
Brömsensimilar arms
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
lionCourage, strength and royalty
falconOne eager and quick in pursuit
ringFidelity, and a promise kept
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
lionCourage, strength and royalty
falconOne eager and quick in pursuit
ringFidelity, and a promise kept
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
