Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à un cerf ramp. au nat., la tête cont., tenant de ses pattes une croix latine d'arg.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hang family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à un cerf ramp. au nat., la tête cont., tenant de ses pattes une croix latine d'arg.”
The Hang arms were recorded in Lorraine, c. 1663.
Lorraine sat on the border between France and the German lands, and border country bred soldiers. Families here held small estates and served in arms, and a fighting man was exactly the sort who carried a shield of his own.
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.
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
The family name Hang has deep roots in the region of Lorraine, where historical records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1663. During the seventeenth century, Lorraine was a territory defined by its position between the French and German spheres of influence, often leading to a unique blend of cultural and linguistic traditions. Families living in this area during that time were frequently involved in agriculture or skilled trades, as these were the primary ways to sustain a household in the rural villages of the period. Because the region faced frequent political shifts and border changes, families like the Hangs often developed a strong sense of local identity tied to their specific village or parish. By documenting their lives through church registers and local tax records, these early ancestors helped establish a legacy that persisted through generations of social and political transition.
Derived from the Germanic element hangen meaning to hang or suspend.
