Map of Germany showing where the Hennigs arms are recorded
The Hennigs arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1765.
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.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Hennigs 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 Hennigs Family in Germany
The surname Hennigs originates from the Germanic regions of Central Europe and functions as a patronymic name, which means it was derived from the given name of an early ancestor. Specifically, the name evolved from the Old German name Hanning or Henning, which served as a diminutive form of Johannes or John. By the mid-eighteenth century, the family had established a documented presence in the southern German state of Bavaria. During this period, families in the Bavarian region were often tied to specific trades or agricultural lands, and the movement of the Hennigs name suggests a lineage rooted in the social and economic shifts of the Holy Roman Empire. As the name spread through local parish records and regional censuses, it became a fixed identifier for families living in the rural and developing urban centers of the Bavarian landscape.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Heinrich
Derived from Germanic elements meaning home ruler or enclosure ruler.
This name
HennigsA patronymic form indicating descent from a person named Heinrich or Henry.
also spelled
Hennig
Henigs
Related arms
Hennigvariant 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
cockCourage, vigilance and readiness for battle
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
cockCourage, vigilance and readiness for battle
