Map of Germany showing where the Hirtz arms are recorded
The Hirtz 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 Hirtz 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 Hirtz Family in Germany
The surname Hirtz originates from the German word for a stag or deer, which suggests that the earliest ancestors likely lived near forested areas or worked as hunters and gamekeepers. By the mid-eighteenth century, the family was firmly established in the Bavarian region, a time when many families began to settle into more permanent agricultural roles within the Holy Roman Empire. During this period, the name was often associated with rural life and the management of local lands. As the family grew in Bavaria, members became integrated into the social and economic fabric of their villages, often working as skilled tradespeople or farmers. This transition from nomadic or specialized labor to stable community life helped the Hirtz name persist through generations as they navigated the changing political landscape of southern Germany.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hirt
A person who tends or guards a herd of animals.
This name
HirtzAn occupational surname for a shepherd or a herdsman.
also spelled
Hirtz
Landskron
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
Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Kurbayern Hofkammer: Steuer- und Katasterwesen, 1765
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
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