A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Grawe family of Germany.
Reg. 2756 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
riverThe bounds of a land, and life carried through it
lionCourage, strength and royalty
bullValour and generosity
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Coupé: au 1 d'arg. au lion naiss. de gu., mouv. du coupé; au 2 d'or à trois têtes de boeuf de gu. A une rivière au nat., en fasce, br. sur le coupé. Cq. cour. C.: le lion, iss. L.: à dextre d'or et de gu., à sen. d'arg. et de gu.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Grawe Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Grawe arms are recorded
The Grawe 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 Grawe 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 Grawe Family in Germany
The family name Grawe traces its roots back to the Germanic regions of Central Europe, where it functioned as a descriptive surname. In the German language, the name is closely associated with the word "grau," which means gray. This suggests that the name was originally a nickname given to an ancestor who had gray hair or perhaps wore gray clothing. By the year 1765, historical records confirm that members of the Grawe family were well-established in the region of Bavaria. During this period, Bavaria was a collection of territories where families were often tied to the land through farming or local trades. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of their local communities, contributing to the agricultural and artisan traditions that defined life in eighteenth-century southern Germany.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Grau
A German adjective describing the color gray.
This name
GraweA descriptive nickname for someone with gray hair or wearing gray clothing.
also spelled
Graw
Grawee
Grawes
Grahva
Related arms
Meinerssimilar arms
Vickenhausensimilar arms
Graawevariant 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
riverThe bounds of a land, and life carried through it
lionCourage, strength and royalty
bullValour and generosity
riverThe bounds of a land, and life carried through it
lionCourage, strength and royalty
bullValour and generosity
