A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Kreider family of Germany.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Tranché d'arg. sur gu. Cq. cour. C.: un demi-vol, aux armes de l'écu.”
The Kreider 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.
Reigning in Germany when the Kreider arms are first recorded.
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.
The family name Kreider originates from the Germanic regions of Central Europe, specifically evolving from the Middle High German word *kreider*, which was often used as an occupational descriptor for a merchant or a dealer in medicinal herbs and spices. By the mid-eighteenth century, the family had established a notable presence in the Kingdom of Bavaria, a region known for its complex social structures and agricultural traditions. During this period, families with this surname were often integrated into the local village economies, working as skilled tradespeople or farmers who contributed to the stability of their rural communities. As the eighteenth century progressed, the search for new opportunities and religious freedom prompted many individuals from these Bavarian roots to migrate toward the American colonies. This movement helped transition the name from a localized German occupational title into a widespread surname that persists across many generations today.
Derived from the Middle High German word for chalk or lime.
