A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gorn family of Germany.
Reg. 5252 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
swordJustice, and military honour
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à une serpette de vigneron au nat., posée en fasce, acc. de trois trèfles de sin. Brl. de sin. et d'arg. C.: un trèfle de sin., entre une ramure de cerf au nat. L. d'arg. et de sin. [Comp. Dalchau.]”
BrandenburgBrandenburg, c. 1765
Where the Gorn Arms Were Recorded
Brandenburg
Map of Germany showing where the Gorn arms are recorded
The Gorn arms were recorded in Brandenburg, c. 1765.
Brandenburg was sandy farming country around Berlin, held in large estates by families who served as officers. Land and military service each brought arms, and most families there had both.
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 Gorn 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 Brandenburg.
Origin & History of the Gorn Family in Germany
The family name Gorn has deep roots in the region of Brandenburg, where records confirm members of the family were established by 1765. During the eighteenth century, Brandenburg was a central part of the Kingdom of Prussia, a time when many families were closely tied to the land and local agricultural traditions. The name itself is thought to be of Slavic origin, likely derived from words meaning a mountain or a high place, which suggests that the earliest ancestors may have lived near prominent hills or elevated terrain. As the family grew within this Prussian territory, they became part of the local social fabric, likely working as farmers or tradespeople who helped shape the rural landscape of the region. Over generations, the Gorn family remained connected to the shifting borders and historical developments of eastern Germany, maintaining their presence in the area long after their first documented appearance in the mid-1700s.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gorn
Derived from the Slavic word gora meaning mountain or hill.
This name
GornA topographic name for someone who lived on or near a mountain or hill.
also spelled
Gorn
Gorneh
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Heidrun, M. Die Siedlungsgeschichte der Mark Brandenburg. 1998
Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv, General-Direktorium, Kurmärkische Kammer, Signatur Pr. Br. Rep. 2
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swordJustice, and military honour
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
swordJustice, and military honour
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
