A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gräsman family of Germany.
Reg. 0925 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
knightChivalry and service in arms
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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 un vieillard iss., hab. de sa., mouv. d'un tertre de sin. et supp. de sa main dextre une fleur-de-lis d'azur. Cq. cour. C.: l'homme, iss.; entre deux prob. coupées, à dextre d'arg. sur azur, à sen. d'or sur sa. L.: à dextre d'or et de sa., à sen. d'arg. et d'azur.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Gräsman Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Gräsman arms are recorded
The Gräsman 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 Gräsman 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 Gräsman Family in Germany
The surname Gräsman originates from the German language and is rooted in the agricultural traditions of the Bavarian region. The name is a compound word derived from the German terms for grass and man, which historically identified an individual who worked as a mower, a haymaker, or a caretaker of meadow lands. In the social structure of eighteenth-century Bavaria, such a name often served as a descriptive occupational title for families living in rural communities. By 1765, records confirm that members of the Gräsman family were firmly established within the local Bavarian population. These early ancestors likely lived in small village settings where their daily lives were dictated by the seasonal cycles of farming and the management of communal fields. Over time, this occupational label transitioned into a permanent hereditary surname that traveled with the family as they moved through the changing landscapes of Central Europe.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gras
A plant with long, narrow leaves growing on the ground.
This name
GräsmanA person who worked with or lived near grass, likely a mower or farmer.
also spelled
Grassman
Related arms
Grassmanvariant spelling
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
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
knightChivalry and service in arms
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
knightChivalry and service in arms
