A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gulden family of Germany.
Reg. 9745 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De sa. à un monde d'or, cintré et”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1765
Where the Gulden Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Gulden arms are recorded
The Gulden arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1765.
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 Gulden 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 Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Gulden Family in Germany
The surname Gulden finds its roots in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, where it functioned as a descriptive name. In the Middle High German language, the word "gulden" referred to a gold coin, and it was often used as a nickname for someone who was wealthy, someone who worked as a money changer, or perhaps a person who had a bright, golden complexion. By the time the family was firmly established in Bavaria in 1765, the name had become a permanent hereditary surname passed down through generations. During the eighteenth century, families in this region were often tied to the land through agriculture or specialized trades in growing market towns. As the Gulden family lived in Bavaria, they were part of a society that was transitioning through the Enlightenment, where local church and civil records began to track individual families with much greater consistency than in previous centuries.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gold
A precious yellow metallic element.
This name
GuldenRefers to a person who was wealthy, worked with gold, or paid in gold coins.
also spelled
Goolden
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
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
