A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Goolden family of Germany.
Reg. 5331 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
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)
“De sa. à un monde d'or, cintré et”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1765
Where the Goolden Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Goolden arms are recorded
The Goolden arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1765.
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 Goolden 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 Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Goolden Family in Germany
The family name Goolden finds its roots in the historical landscape of Bavaria, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1765. During this period, the region was part of the Holy Roman Empire, and families often identified themselves through their connection to specific trades or local geography. The name likely evolved as a phonetic variation of older Germanic surnames, reflecting the linguistic shifts common in southern Germany during the eighteenth century. As members of the community, these early ancestors were likely involved in the agrarian or artisanal economies that defined Bavarian village life before the industrial changes of the nineteenth century. By tracing their origins to this specific time and place, we see a family deeply embedded in the social fabric of central Europe, living through a time of significant cultural and political transition.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gold
A precious yellow metallic element.
This name
GooldenDerived from a topographic or occupational name referring to someone associated with gold or golden-colored hair.
also spelled
Goolden
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
