A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Heger family of Germany.
Reg. 0621 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“Tranché: au 1 d'or au lion de sa; au 2 bandé de sa. et d'or, de quatre pièces. C.: un lion iss. d'or.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1547
Where the Heger Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Heger arms are recorded
The Heger arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1547.
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.
Charles V
Sovereign of the period
Charles V
1519–1556
Reigning in Germany when the Heger 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 Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Heger Family in Germany
The family name Heger traces its roots to the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, with documented evidence placing members of the family in Bavaria as early as 1547. The name is occupational in origin, derived from the Middle High German word "heger," which referred to a person who managed or guarded a fenced area, a hedge, or a protected forest. During the sixteenth century, individuals with this surname were often associated with the management of land, acting as foresters or caretakers for local estates. As the family established themselves in the Bavarian landscape, they became part of the growing class of rural professionals who maintained the boundaries and resources of the countryside. This connection to the land defined their early social standing and helped the name persist through generations in the region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hag
An enclosed area, hedge, or fenced piece of land.
This name
HegerAn occupational name for someone who lived near or worked as a tender of hedges.
also spelled
Heeger
Hegger
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
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
lionCourage, strength and royalty
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
lionCourage, strength and royalty
