A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Kalberg family of Germany.
Reg. 8863 · German, J–L
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
savages head affrontyAn enemy overcome
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“De gu. à une tête de More, tort. d'arg., soutenue d'un tertre de sin. Brl. d'arg. et de gu. C.: un bras en pal, paré d'azur, la main de carn. empoignant une grenade de sa., allumée d'or; entre deux guidons coupés d'arg. sur azur, attachés à des piques au nat. L. d'arg. et de gu.”
Germanyc. 1650
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
Map of Germany showing where the Kalberg arms are recorded
The Kalberg arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1650.
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.
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
1637–1657
Reigning in Germany when the Kalberg 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 Kalberg Family in Germany
The family name Kalberg finds its roots in the southern regions of Germany, specifically within the historical landscape of Bavaria. By the year 1650, records indicate that members of the family were already established in this area, living through a period of significant recovery following the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War. The name itself is topographical, likely derived from the German words for cold and mountain or hill. This suggests that the earliest ancestors probably lived near a chilly or north-facing slope, which was a common way for people in rural communities to identify their homes before formal surnames became mandatory. As these families settled into their Bavarian villages, they were typically involved in agriculture or local trades that defined the economy of the seventeenth century. Over time, the name became a permanent marker of their identity, linking generations of the family to the rugged geography of the Bavarian countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Kahl and Berg
Bare or bald and mountain or hill.
This name
KalbergRefers to a person living on or near a bare, treeless mountain or hill.
also spelled
Kalberg
Calberg
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bavarian State Archives (Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv), Kurbayern Hofkammer Buchhaltung
Gottschald, Max, Deutsche Namenkunde: Unsere Familiennamen nach ihrer Entstehung und Bedeutung, 1971
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1933
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
savages head affrontyAn enemy overcome
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
savages head affrontyAn enemy overcome
