A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hanstein family of Germany.
Reg. 7432 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
Colours
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)
“D'arg. à trois croiss. de sa., les deux du chef adossés, celui en p. versé. C.: une colonne (ou une verge) d'arg., ornée à chaque flanc d'un croiss. de sa. (tourné et cont.) et sommée de cinq pl. d'aut. (ou de coq), alt. de sa. et d'arg. [V. Comtes Pölzig de Bayersdorf barons de Hanstein.]”
PomeraniaHan · Pomerania, c. 1840
Where the Hanstein Arms Were Recorded
Map of Germany showing where the Hanstein arms are recorded
The Hanstein arms were recorded in Pomerania, c. 1840.
Pomerania was flat farming country on the Baltic coast, held in large estates by a small number of families. They kept their land for generations, and generations of landholding is what fills 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.
Frederick William III of Prussia
Sovereign of the period
Frederick William III of Prussia
1797–1840
Reigning in Germany when the Hanstein arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
Prussian heraldry was strictly tied to social rank and noble status rather than being a free choice for every citizen. These symbols were treated as permanent family property that moved through the generations to all legitimate heirs. If a family branch wanted to change their design to stand out, they had to apply for official permission to alter their specific version of the shield.
Granting authority
The Prussian Heroldsamt acted as the central state office that managed and strictly controlled all noble titles and coats of arms.
How they got arms
Families usually obtained their arms through formal royal grants or by proving their long-standing noble status to the state authorities.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms were kept in the rolls of the Prussian Heroldsamt, which functioned from 1706 until 1918.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Pomerania.
Origin & History of the Hanstein Family in Germany
The family name Hanstein originates from the German regions, where it developed as a descriptive identifier linked to specific geography. The name is composed of two parts, with the first element likely referring to a rooster or a bold leader, and the second element denoting a stone or a fortified rocky outcrop. By the mid-19th century, records confirm that members of the Hanstein family were well-established in the province of Pomerania. During this era, Pomerania was a region defined by its agricultural landscape and its position along the Baltic Sea. Families living there often moved between rural estates and growing towns as they sought new opportunities in trade and farming. The presence of the Hanstein name in these historical records suggests that the family was part of the steady movement of people across Northern Germany during a time of significant social and economic change.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hahn and Stein
Rooster and stone or rock
This name
HansteinA habitational name referring to a rocky outcrop or castle associated with a rooster.
also spelled
Hansteyn
Hansten
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Kohlheim, Rosa and Volker Kohlheim, Duden Familiennamen: Herkunft und Bedeutung, 2005
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Landesarchiv Greifswald, Zivilstandsregister der Provinz Pommern, 1840
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
