Map of Germany showing where the Klotz arms are recorded
The Klotz arms were recorded in Francfort s, c. 1765.
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 Klotz 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 Klotz Family in Germany
The surname Klotz originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe as a descriptive nickname. In Middle High German, the word "klotz" referred to a block of wood or a thick, sturdy log. It was often used to describe a person who was physically strong, stocky, or perhaps stubborn in nature. By the time members of the family were documented in Frankfurt in 1765, the name had already been established for generations as a common occupational or character-based surname. Families bearing this name were typically integrated into the urban life of growing trade centers like Frankfurt, where they often worked as skilled craftsmen or merchants. Because the name was tied to physical traits rather than a specific location, it spread across various German states as families moved to find new opportunities in the bustling markets of the eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Klotz
A Middle High German term for a block of wood or log.
This name
KlotzOriginally a nickname for a clumsy, thick-set, or unrefined person.
also spelled
Klots
Clots
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 Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Institut für Stadtgeschichte Frankfurt am Main, Bürgerbücher der Stadt Frankfurt am Main
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treeLife, endurance and deep roots
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
