A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Grunder family of Switzerland.
Reg. 7428 · Swiss, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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)
“D'azur à trois roses mal-ordonnées, la première de gu., les deux autres d'arg., tigées et feuillées de sin., mouv. d'un coeur de gu., soutenu d'un tertre de trois coupeaux de sin. C.: les meubles de l'écu. L.: d'arg. et d'azur.”
Switzerlandc. 1745
Where the Grunder Arms Were Recorded
Bern
Map of Switzerland showing where the Grunder arms are recorded
The Grunder 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 Grunder Family in Switzerland
The surname Grunder is deeply rooted in the history of the Swiss canton of Bern, where records confirm the family was well-established by the year 1745. The name itself is topographic in origin, derived from the German word Grund, which refers to a valley, a piece of land, or the floor of a basin. This suggests that the earliest ancestors to carry the name likely lived in or near a low-lying area or a valley floor. During the eighteenth century, families in the Bernese region were often identified by their relationship to the specific landscape they farmed or occupied. As the family grew, members became integrated into the social and agricultural fabric of the Bernese Oberland, contributing to the local community through farming and trade. Over time, the name became a permanent fixture in regional parish registers, reflecting the stable and localized nature of life in the Swiss cantons during that era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Grund
A piece of land, ground, or bottom of a valley.
This name
GrunderRefers to a person who lived or worked on a specific plot of land.
also spelled
Groonder
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
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Kirchenbücher (Parish Registers)
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Burgerrodel (Citizenship Records)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
