A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Holtermann family of Germany.
Reg. 8617 · German, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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)
“D'arg. à un rosier de sin., fleuri de cinq roses de gu., 1, 2 et 3. Cq. cour. C.: un vol à l'antique, l'aile de devant d'arg. et l'aile de derrière de gu.”
SwabiaSwabia, c. 1765
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Map of Germany showing where the Holtermann arms are recorded
The Holtermann arms were recorded in Swabia, c. 1765.
Swabia was broken into a great many small territories in southern Germany, and each had its own landowners and its own leading townsmen. That fragmentation produced an unusual number of families with arms.
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 Holtermann 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 Swabia.
Origin & History of the Holtermann Family in Germany
The surname Holtermann is rooted in the linguistic traditions of Northern and Central Germany, functioning as a descriptive occupational name. It is derived from the Middle Low German words *holt*, meaning wood or forest, and *man*, meaning person. Historically, this name identified an individual who lived near a forest or worked as a woodcutter, timber merchant, or forest warden. By the time members of the family were documented in the Swabian region in 1765, the name had become a stable hereditary surname. During this period, families in Swabia were often tied to the land through agricultural labor or specialized trades, and the name Holtermann likely reflected the family’s long-standing connection to the management of local woodlands. As these families moved or expanded their influence, the name persisted as a marker of their ancestral trade and their historical proximity to the forested landscapes of the German interior.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Holt-mann
A person who lives in or works within a wood or forest.
This name
HoltermannDerived from a topographic name for someone residing near a wood or a forest clearing.
also spelled
Holderman
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 Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Bestand E 157: Kirchenbücher der evangelischen Kirchengemeinden in Württemberg
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treeLife, endurance and deep roots
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
