A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hau family of Germany.
Reg. 8480 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cross symbolChristian faith and service
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
lionCourage, strength and royalty
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crownSovereignty, authority and just reward
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“Coupé: au 1 parti: a. d'azur à trois étoiles d'arg., 2 et 1; b. de gu. à une croix de Lorraine d'arg., iss. d'une couronne d'or et accostée de deux autres couronnes d'or; au 2 de sin. au lion léopardé d'arg., tenant de sa patte dextre une épée du même. Deux cq. cour. C.: 1° une croix de Lorraine d'arg., iss. d'une couronne d'or, posée sur une colline de sin.; 2° le lion du 2, iss.”
Germanyc. 1765
Where the Hau Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Hau arms are recorded
The Hau 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 Hau 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 Hau Family in Germany
The family name Hau has deep roots in the southern German region of Bavaria, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1765. The name itself is likely derived from the Middle High German word "houwen," which means to cut or to hew. This suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely involved in manual labor, such as forestry, carpentry, or stone masonry. During the eighteenth century, Bavaria was a landscape defined by small agrarian communities and dense forests, making this type of skilled trade essential to the local economy. Families with this name were typically settled in rural villages where they contributed to the building and maintenance of the local infrastructure. Over generations, the Hau family became a part of the steady social fabric of the region, living through the transition from feudal agricultural systems to the more organized administrative structures that defined late eighteenth-century Germany.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hauwe
Middle High German term for a hoe or a cutting tool.
This name
HauAn occupational surname for a person who worked as a farmer or a woodcutter.
also spelled
Haue
Hauw
Haux
How
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
cross symbolChristian faith and service
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
lionCourage, strength and royalty
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crownSovereignty, authority and just reward
cross symbolChristian faith and service
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
lionCourage, strength and royalty
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crownSovereignty, authority and just reward
