A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hedman family of Germany.
Reg. 5691 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“De gu. à trois trèfles, les tiges des deux trèfles en chef passées en saut, celle du trèfle en p. mouv. d'un petit chicot en fasce; le tout d'or. Cq. cour. C.: trois trèfles d'or (quelquefois de sin.) L. d'arg. et de gu. ou d'arg. et de sin.”
MecklenburgHan · Mecklenburg, c. 1653
Where the Hedman Arms Were Recorded
Mecklenburg
Map of Germany showing where the Hedman arms are recorded
The Hedman arms were recorded in Mecklenburg, c. 1653.
Mecklenburg was farming country in the north of Germany, held by a small number of families who kept their estates for generations. Owning land was what entitled a family to arms, so a great many Mecklenburg names ended up 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.
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
1637–1657
Reigning in Germany when the Hedman 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 Mecklenburg.
Origin & History of the Hedman Family in Germany
The Hedman family name has deep roots in Northern Europe, with documented evidence placing early members in the region of Mecklenburg by 1653. During this period, the name likely emerged as a topographic or habitational surname, often derived from the Old Germanic or Old Swedish words for "heath" or "heather." Families living near these open, uncultivated lands were frequently identified by their surroundings, leading to the adoption of the name as a way to distinguish individuals within growing local communities. As the family moved across the Baltic region, the name became established in various administrative records, reflecting the migration patterns of people seeking new opportunities in trade and agriculture. These early Hedmans were part of a broader social shift where surnames began to transition from simple nicknames to permanent identifiers passed down through generations.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hede
A Germanic term referring to a heath or uncultivated open land.
This name
HedmanA topographic surname for someone who lived on or near a heath.
also spelled
Hedeman
Hedman
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
trefoilPerpetuity, and the Trinity
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
