A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hag family lines. Documented in 2 countries.
Reg. 2014 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
escutcheonA shield within a shield, and a claim inherited
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Coupé: au 1 d'azur à trois écussons d'arg., rangés en fasce; au 2 d'or à une flèche de sa., posée en fasce. C.: un vol, coupé alt. d'azur et d'or.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Hag Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Hag arms are recorded
The Hag arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1765.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bavaria.
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 Hag 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 Germany.
Origin & History of the Hag Family in Germany
The surname Hag is rooted in the linguistic history of Southern Germany, where it functioned as a topographical name for families living near a fenced enclosure or a protected wooded area. In the Middle High German language, the word "hag" referred to a hedge, a thicket, or a piece of enclosed land. By the time members of the family were documented in Bavaria in 1765, the name had already been established for generations as a way to identify people by their specific homesteads or local geography. During the eighteenth century, the region of Bavaria was characterized by tight-knit agricultural communities where a family’s connection to their land was central to their identity. As the family grew and moved through these rural districts, the name served as a permanent record of their ancestral link to the enclosed fields and forests of the Bavarian landscape.
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
horseReadiness to serve king and country
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à un cheval cabré d'arg., bridé de sa. Cq. cour. C.: le cheval, iss., les jambes passées dans un joug d'or, posé en fasce, chacune des extrémités montantes du joug sommée de trois plumes de paon au nat.; ou, une femme iss., cour. d'or, hab. d'azur, supp. de ses mains au-dessus de sa tête un chapeau pyramidal de gu., retr. d'arg., cour. d'or et sommé d'une queue de paon au nat.”
Switzerlandc. 1745
Where the Hag Arms Were Recorded
Bern
Map of Switzerland showing where the Hag arms are recorded
The Hag 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 Hag Family in Switzerland
The family name Hag has deep roots in the Swiss region, with historical documentation confirming that members of the family were established residents of Bern by 1745. In the context of eighteenth-century Switzerland, a surname like Hag often originated from a topographic feature, likely referring to someone who lived near a hedge or an enclosed piece of land. During this period, the city of Bern was a powerful center of trade and politics, and families living there were often integrated into the local guild systems or agricultural networks that defined daily life. As the family became part of the Bernese community, they would have been subject to the strict citizenship and residency laws that governed the Swiss cantons at the time. These early records suggest that the Hag family was part of the stable, middle-tier population that helped maintain the social and economic structure of the city during the mid-1700s.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hag
An enclosed area, hedge, or fenced piece of land.
This name
HagA topographic name for someone who lived near a fenced-in area or hedge.
also spelled
Hag
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bahlow, Hans. Deutsches Namenlexikon. 1967
Heintze, Albert. Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich. 1903
escutcheonA shield within a shield, and a claim inherited
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
escutcheonA shield within a shield, and a claim inherited
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
horseReadiness to serve king and country
