A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Kart family of Switzerland.
Reg. 2221 · Swiss, J–L
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“D'azur à un croiss. d'arg., acc. de trois étoiles (5) du même. C.: un homme iss. de carn., supp. de sa main dextre un croiss. d'arg.”
Switzerlandc. 1745
Where the Kart Arms Were Recorded
Bern
Map of Switzerland showing where the Kart arms are recorded
The Kart arms were recorded in Switzerland, c. 1745.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bern.
Bern was the largest of the Swiss cantons and ran itself, with its own council and its own courts. Its governing families held office for generations, and office of that kind carried a shield with it.
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 Switzerland in this period.
How Arms Worked in Switzerland
In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.
Granting authority
Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms
Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.
Origin & History of the Kart Family in Switzerland
The family name Kart traces its roots to the historic city of Bern, Switzerland, where records confirm members of the family were living by 1745. During this period, Bern was a powerful city-state governed by a strict social hierarchy, and families like the Karts were often integrated into the local craft or merchant guilds that defined the city’s economy. The name itself likely originated as a descriptive term or a shortened occupational identifier, reflecting the linguistic shifts common in the German-speaking regions of the eighteenth century. As residents of a prominent urban center, early members of the Kart family would have navigated the complex political and social landscape of the Old Swiss Confederacy. Their presence in the city archives suggests they were established citizens who participated in the daily life, trade, and administrative functions of Bern during a time of significant regional growth.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Kart
Derived from the Middle High German word for a cart or wagon.
This name
KartAn occupational surname for a carter, wagoner, or someone who transported goods.
also spelled
Kart
Karth
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, Kirchenbücher der Stadt Bern (1745)
Dubler, Anne-Marie, Stadt und Land in der Schweiz des 18. Jahrhunderts (1990)
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crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
