A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Heims family of Germany.
Reg. 4731 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
grapesPlenty, and the labour of the vine
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Parti: au 1 d'arg. à un cep de vigne, accolé à une verge, et soutenu d'une terrasse isolée, le tout au nat.; au 2 de sa. à un senestrochère, paré de sin., rebr. d'or, la main de carn. empoignant un sabre d'arg., garni d'or. L'écu bordé d'or. C.: le senestrochère, posé sur le coude. L.: d'arg. et de sa.”
Germanyc. 1770
Where the Heims Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Heims arms are recorded
The Heims arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1770.
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.
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
1765–1790
Reigning in Germany when the Heims 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 Heims Family in Germany
The family name Heims finds its linguistic roots in the Germanic regions of Central Europe, where it likely evolved as a patronymic surname derived from the ancient given name Haimo. This name is rooted in the Old High German word for home or settlement, suggesting that the earliest ancestors were individuals deeply connected to their local lands and community life. By the year 1770, records confirm that the Heims family was well established within the Kingdom of Bavaria. During this era, life in the Bavarian countryside was defined by agricultural traditions and the influence of local parishes, which served as the primary keepers of family history. As members of a stable society, the early Heims family likely participated in the regional trade and farming practices that sustained the Bavarian economy throughout the eighteenth century. Their presence in this region reflects a long history of settlement and continuity within the complex social landscape of the Holy Roman Empire.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Haim
A Germanic word meaning home or settlement.
This name
HeimsA topographic or habitational name for someone who lived in a home or village.
also spelled
Heimss
Heyms
Heimz
Himes
Related arms
Heymsvariant spelling
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
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
grapesPlenty, and the labour of the vine
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
grapesPlenty, and the labour of the vine
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
