A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Horvat family of Austria.
Reg. 2115 · Austrian, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur au lion d'or, tenant un sabre d'arg. Cq. cour. C.: un senestrochère, paré de gu., posé sur le coude, la main de carn. tenant un sabre d'arg. L. d'azur et de gu. S.: deux lions d'or, tenant chacun un sabre d'arg.”
Austriac. 1807
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Map of Austria showing where the Horvat arms are recorded
The Horvat arms were recorded in Austria, c. 1807.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Tyrol.
Tyrol was mountain country in western Austria, where the valleys were held by families who had been there a very long time. Old tenure counted for more than money, and old families carried 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.
Region
Tyrol
First recorded
1807
Granting Authority for the Horvat Arms
Imperial and Royal chancery
Sodacan · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Austria in this period.
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
1804–1835
Reigning in Austria when the Horvat arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Austria
Austrian coats of arms were often linked directly to noble titles granted by the Emperor. These symbols belonged to the entire family line rather than just one individual. When a family grew, new branches kept the original design without needing to change it. This system allowed all members of a noble house to share the same identity across many generations.
Granting authority
The Imperial and Royal chancery managed all heraldic matters and controlled the official granting of arms throughout the Austrian lands.
How they got arms
Families typically received their arms through a formal imperial decree that often accompanied the elevation of a person to noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Official records of these grants were kept in the Imperial Register of Nobility which began its formal documentation process in 1453.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Austria.
Origin & History of the Horvat Family in Austria
The surname Horvat is a classic ethnic identifier that originated in the medieval period to describe people who migrated from Croatia. In the Slavic languages, the word refers directly to a person of Croatian origin. As families moved across the borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they often carried this name as a way to signal their ancestral roots to their new neighbors. By the time members of the family were documented in the Tyrol region in 1807, the name had long been established as a common way to track the movement of people across Central Europe. Because the name functioned as a descriptor of origin rather than a specific trade or location, it spread widely as families sought new opportunities in the mountainous provinces of the Alps. This history reflects the deep connection between the diverse populations that lived under the influence of the Habsburg monarchy.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hrvat
An ethnonym referring to a person of Croatian origin.
This name
HorvatA surname identifying an individual or family as being of Croatian descent.
also spelled
Horvath
Horvat
Sentjorj
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Beneš, Jakub S., Workers and Nationalism: Czech and German Social Democracy in Habsburg Austria, 1890-1918, 2017
Kranzmayer, Eberhard, Ortsnamenbuch von Kärnten, 1956
Šimunović, Petar, Hrvatska prezimena: podrijetlo, značenje, rasprostranjenost, 2006
Tiroler Landesarchiv, Standesbücher (Parish Registers of Tyrol)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
