Map of Germany showing where the Kroll arms are recorded
The Kroll 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 Kroll 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 Kroll Family in Germany
The surname Kroll has deep roots in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, particularly within the southern state of Bavaria. Historical records confirm that families bearing this name were well-established in the Bavarian countryside by 1765. The name itself is often linked to the Middle High German word krol, which was a descriptive term used to identify someone with curly hair. During the eighteenth century, many families in this region lived as farmers or skilled tradespeople who were deeply connected to their local villages and parish communities. As the population grew, the Kroll name became a common identifier for these hardworking families as they navigated the social and economic changes of the Holy Roman Empire. By maintaining steady ties to their ancestral lands, these early generations helped preserve the name as a distinct part of the Bavarian cultural landscape.
Kroll Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Krol
A Middle Low German term referring to curly or frizzy hair.
This name
KrollA descriptive nickname for an individual with curly or wavy hair.
also spelled
Krol
Krole
Related arms
Crollvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon, 1967
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen, 1903
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
