A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Guttenberg family of Germany.
Reg. 6354 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
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 rose d'or. C.: un bonnet de gu., rebr. d'herm., supp. cinq roseaux de sa. L.: d'arg. et de gu., ou d'or et d'azur.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1700
Where the Guttenberg Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Guttenberg arms are recorded
The Guttenberg arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1700.
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.
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
1658–1705
Reigning in Germany when the Guttenberg 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 Guttenberg Family in Germany
The surname Guttenberg is a locative name, meaning it was originally derived from a specific place rather than a trade or personal trait. The name is composed of the German words "gut," meaning good, and "berg," meaning mountain or hill. By the early 1700s, families bearing this name were well-established in the Bavarian region of Germany. During this period, the name was often associated with families who lived near or owned land on fertile, productive hillsides. As these families moved from rural areas into growing towns, the name served as a way to identify their ancestral origins. Because surnames were becoming more permanent during the eighteenth century, the Guttenberg name helped track family lineages across different Bavarian parishes as people began to move for work or marriage.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Guten Berg
Good mountain or productive hill
This name
GuttenbergRefers to someone living near a fertile or beneficial mountain or hill.
also spelled
Gutenberg
Related arms
Bleymannsimilar arms
Bussysimilar arms
Dornbergsimilar arms
Gutenbergvariant 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
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Kirchenbücher der bayerischen Pfarreien, 1700–1750
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
