A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gussman family of Austria.
Reg. 1375 · Austrian, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
anchorHope, and steadfastness in trouble
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“D'azur à une ancre d'or, posée en bande, acc. de deux couronnes du même, 1 en chef à sen. et 1 en p. à dextre. Cq. cour. C.: un vol, d'or et d'azur.”
GaliciaGalicia, c. 1772
Where the Gussman Arms Were Recorded
Map of Austria showing where the Gussman arms are recorded
The Gussman arms were recorded in Galicia, c. 1772.
Galicia was eastern country of large estates and small farming villages, held by families who had been there for a very long time. Land was what entitled a family to arms, and land there rarely changed hands.
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.
Region
Galicia
First recorded
1772
Granting Authority for the Gussman Arms
Imperial and Royal chancery
Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Austria in this period.
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
1765–1790
Reigning in Austria when the Gussman arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Austria
Austrian coats of arms were often linked directly to noble titles granted by the Emperor. These symbols belonged to the entire family line rather than just one individual. When a family grew, new branches kept the original design without needing to change it. This system allowed all members of a noble house to share the same identity across many generations.
Granting authority
The Imperial and Royal chancery managed all heraldic matters and controlled the official granting of arms throughout the Austrian lands.
How they got arms
Families typically received their arms through a formal imperial decree that often accompanied the elevation of a person to noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Official records of these grants were kept in the Imperial Register of Nobility which began its formal documentation process in 1453.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Galicia.
Origin & History of the Gussman Family in Austria
The surname Gussman traces its roots to the historical region of Galicia, a territory that became part of the Austrian Empire in 1772 following the first partition of Poland. During this period, the name likely functioned as a descriptive occupational or locational identifier within the diverse linguistic landscape of Central Europe. Families bearing this name were part of the significant demographic shifts occurring under the Habsburg administration, which required residents to adopt formal, permanent surnames for tax and military registration purposes. As the region transitioned into a provincial crown land, the Gussman family became integrated into the administrative records of the Austrian bureaucracy. This era marked a transition from traditional naming customs to the standardized family identities that define modern genealogy in the region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gus
A Germanic short form of names beginning with the element god.
This name
GussmanA topographic or occupational name referring to a man associated with the god-like.
also spelled
Gusman
Gussman
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Magocsi, Paul R., Galicia: A Historical Survey and Bibliographic Guide, 1983
Austrian State Archives, Allgemeines Verwaltungsarchiv: Galizische Hofkanzlei, 1772–1848
Wandycz, Piotr S., The Lands of Partitioned Poland, 1795–1918, 1974
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anchorHope, and steadfastness in trouble
anchorHope, and steadfastness in trouble
