A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Guelich family of Germany.
Reg. 1364 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
dovePeace, love and the Holy Spirit
heartSincerity, charity and true affection
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Ec.: aux 1 et 4 d'azur à une colombe ess. d'arg., tenant en son bec un rameau d'olivier de sin.; au 2 d'arg. à cinq coeurs de gu., 2, 1 et 2; au 3 d'arg. à cinq roses de gu., 2, 1 et 2. Cq. cour. C.: un cône d'arg., sommé de la colombe du 1; entre deux drapeaux adossés, celui à dextre d'azur à la fasce d'arg., celui à sen. de gu. à la fasce d'arg. L.: à dextre d'arg. et d'azur, à sen. d'arg. et de gu.”
MecklenburgMecklenburg, c. 1706
Where the Guelich Arms Were Recorded
Mecklenburg
Map of Germany showing where the Guelich arms are recorded
The Guelich arms were recorded in Mecklenburg, c. 1706.
Mecklenburg was farming country in the north of Germany, held by a small number of families who kept their estates for generations. Owning land was what entitled a family to arms, so a great many Mecklenburg names ended up 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.
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
1705–1711
Reigning in Germany when the Guelich 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 Mecklenburg.
Origin & History of the Guelich Family in Germany
The surname Guelich traces its roots to the northern German region of Mecklenburg, where records confirm the family was established by at least 1706. The name is linguistically linked to the Middle Low German term for a person from the region of Jülich, which is located in the Rhineland. During the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, families frequently moved across German territories for work, military service, or agricultural opportunities. As these individuals settled in new areas like Mecklenburg, their neighbors often identified them by their place of origin. Over time, this regional descriptor evolved into a permanent hereditary surname. By the early 1700s, the Guelich family had integrated into the local social fabric of Mecklenburg, contributing to the rural and civic life of the region during a period of significant demographic change.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gilo
A Germanic personal name derived from the word for pledge or hostage.
This name
GuelichA patronymic surname indicating descent from a person named Gilo or a diminutive form thereof.
also spelled
Guelich
Gulikh
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 Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
dovePeace, love and the Holy Spirit
heartSincerity, charity and true affection
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
dovePeace, love and the Holy Spirit
heartSincerity, charity and true affection
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
