A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Kalt family of Germany.
Reg. 2760 · German, J–L
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
crabSteadfast defence that yields no ground
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De sa. à une écrevisse d'arg., en fasce; le champ chapé-ployé d'arg., ch. à dextre d'une aigle cont. de sa., cour. d'or, et à sen. d'un lion de sa., tenant une masse d'armes. Cq. cour. C.: une aigle iss. de sa., cour. d'or. L. d'arg. et de sa.”
Germanyc. 1765
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Map of Germany showing where the Kalt arms are recorded
The Kalt 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 Kalt 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 Kalt Family in Germany
The family name Kalt traces its linguistic roots to the Middle High German word "kalt," which translates directly to the English word "cold." In the context of medieval naming conventions, this was likely a descriptive nickname used to identify an individual with a reserved personality or perhaps someone who lived in a particularly chilly or frost-prone region. By the time the family was firmly established in the Bavarian region during the mid-eighteenth century, the name had become a fixed hereditary surname passed down through generations. Living in Bavaria in 1765, members of the Kalt family were part of a society deeply rooted in agricultural traditions and local craftsmanship. The name served as a marker of their identity within these tight-knit village communities, reflecting a long history of integration into the social and economic fabric of Southern Germany.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
kalt
German adjective meaning cold or frigid.
This name
KaltA descriptive nickname for a person with a cold or unemotional temperament.
also spelled
Kald
Kaldte
Kaldth
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
crabSteadfast defence that yields no ground
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
lionCourage, strength and royalty
crabSteadfast defence that yields no ground
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
lionCourage, strength and royalty
