A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Häkel family of Germany.
Reg. 0728 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
axeThe execution of military duty
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“D'or à deux haches de sa., passées en saut. Cq. cour. C.: un chapeau piramidal de sa., le retroussé aux armes de l'écu, sommé de plumes de coq de sa.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1765
Where the Häkel Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Häkel arms are recorded
The Häkel 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 Häkel 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 Häkel Family in Germany
The family name Häkel originates from the German language and is rooted in the Middle High German word "hake," which translates to a hook. Historically, this name functioned as a descriptive occupational surname, likely identifying an ancestor who worked as a maker of hooks or perhaps someone who used a hook-shaped tool in their daily trade. By 1765, records confirm that the family was well-established in the Bavarian region, a time when surnames were becoming increasingly fixed in official parish and tax documents. During this period, families in Bavaria often lived in small, tight-knit rural communities where their professional identity became synonymous with their family name. As the family grew, they remained deeply connected to the social and economic life of southern Germany, passing the name down through generations as a reflection of their ancestral craft.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hake
Derived from the Middle High German word for a hook or crook.
This name
HäkelAn occupational surname for someone who made or used hooks, or a nickname for a hook-nosed person.
also spelled
Hackel
Haakel
Related arms
Häckelvariant 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 Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Kurbayern Hofkammer, Steuer- und Rechnungsunterlagen, 1765
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
axeThe execution of military duty
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
axeThe execution of military duty
