A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Heinrichs family of Germany.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à un chicot au nat., posé en fasce. C.: deux branches de frêne de sin., accostées et mouv. d'un chicot en fasce.”
The Heinrichs arms were recorded in Holstein, c. 1765.
Holstein was farming country between the North Sea and the Baltic, held in large estates. The same families kept the same land for generations, and generations of holding is what fills a register.
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.
Reigning in Germany when the Heinrichs arms are first recorded.
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.
The surname Heinrichs is a patronymic name, which means it was originally formed by adding an "s" to the given name Heinrich to indicate "son of Heinrich." The name Heinrich itself comes from the Old High German elements *heim*, meaning home, and *ric*, meaning power or ruler. By the time the family was established in the region of Holstein in 1765, the name had become a fixed surname passed down through generations. Families in this part of Northern Germany during the eighteenth century were often deeply connected to the land and local agricultural traditions. Because Holstein was a crossroads for trade and movement, the name Heinrichs likely spread as family members sought new opportunities in neighboring villages and towns. This transition from a descriptive name to a permanent family identifier reflects the way common people in the region began to organize their identities as local record-keeping became more standardized.
Derived from Germanic elements meaning home and ruler or power.
