A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hauenstein family of Austria.
Reg. 7136 · Austrian, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
sickleThe harvest, and the reaping of what was sown
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 deux houes d'arg., passées en saut. C.: les houes, devant un vol de gu.”
TyrolTyrol, c. 1772
Where the Hauenstein Arms Were Recorded
Tyrol
Map of Austria showing where the Hauenstein arms are recorded
The Hauenstein arms were recorded in Tyrol, c. 1772.
Tyrol was mountain country in western Austria, where the valleys were held by families who had been there a very long time. Old tenure counted for more than money, and old families carried arms.
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.
Region
Tyrol
First recorded
1772
Granting Authority for the Hauenstein Arms
Imperial and Royal chancery
Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Austria in this period.
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
1765–1790
Reigning in Austria when the Hauenstein arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Austria
Austrian coats of arms were often linked directly to noble titles granted by the Emperor. These symbols belonged to the entire family line rather than just one individual. When a family grew, new branches kept the original design without needing to change it. This system allowed all members of a noble house to share the same identity across many generations.
Granting authority
The Imperial and Royal chancery managed all heraldic matters and controlled the official granting of arms throughout the Austrian lands.
How they got arms
Families typically received their arms through a formal imperial decree that often accompanied the elevation of a person to noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Official records of these grants were kept in the Imperial Register of Nobility which began its formal documentation process in 1453.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Tyrol.
Origin & History of the Hauenstein Family in Austria
The surname Hauenstein is a classic example of a topographic name, which means it was originally derived from the physical features of the landscape where a family lived. In German, the name combines the words "hauen," meaning to hew or cut, and "stein," meaning stone. This suggests that the earliest ancestors to carry this name were likely stonecutters, quarry workers, or people who lived near a prominent rocky outcrop or a mountain pass that required clearing. By the year 1772, records confirm that families bearing this name were well-established in the Tyrol region of the Alps. Given the rugged terrain of this area, it is highly probable that the family name evolved as a way to identify individuals based on their specific trade or their proximity to the steep, rocky slopes that define the Tyrolean landscape.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Houwen and Stein
To hew or cut and a stone or rock formation.
This name
HauensteinRefers to a person living near a hewn rock or a stone quarry.
also spelled
Hauensteyn
Hauenstine
Howenstine
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
Udolph, Jürgen, Duden Familiennamen: Herkunft und Bedeutung von 20.000 Nachnamen, 2005
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
sickleThe harvest, and the reaping of what was sown
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
sickleThe harvest, and the reaping of what was sown
