A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Graber family of Switzerland.
Reg. 0357 · Swiss, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à la bande de sa. C.: une bèche d'arg., emm. de gu., le fer en haut, sommée d'un panache de plumes de coq de sa.”
Switzerlandc. 1745
Where the Graber Arms Were Recorded
Bern
Map of Switzerland showing where the Graber arms are recorded
The Graber arms were recorded in Switzerland, c. 1745.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bern.
Bern was the largest of the Swiss cantons and ran itself, with its own council and its own courts. Its governing families held office for generations, and office of that kind carried a shield with it.
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 Switzerland in this period.
How Arms Worked in Switzerland
In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.
Granting authority
Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms
Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.
Origin & History of the Graber Family in Switzerland
The surname Graber is an occupational name that originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically emerging from the Middle High German word *graber*, which means a digger or an excavator. Historically, this name was often given to individuals who worked as grave diggers, ditch diggers, or miners. By the mid-18th century, the family was well-established in the Swiss canton of Bern, where records confirm their presence by 1745. During this era, families in the Bernese region were deeply tied to the land and local agricultural communities. As the family grew, members likely moved between rural farming villages and the growing urban centers of the Swiss Confederation, carrying their trade-based name as a reflection of their ancestors' labor and social standing in the community.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Graba
Old High German term for a pit, trench, or grave.
This name
GraberAn occupational surname for a person who dug graves or worked in a trench.
also spelled
Grabe
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann. Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen. 1957
Bahlow, Hans. Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt. 1967
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
