Map of Germany showing where the Kurtzman arms are recorded
The Kurtzman 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 Kurtzman 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 Kurtzman Family in Germany
The family name Kurtzman originates from the German regions of Bavaria, where historical records confirm the presence of the family as early as 1765. The name itself is derived from the Middle High German word *kurz*, which translates to short, combined with the suffix *mann* meaning man. In the eighteenth century, surnames often functioned as descriptive nicknames to help distinguish individuals within a growing village population. It is likely that the first person to carry this name was identified by neighbors due to their physical stature. As the family established roots in the Bavarian landscape, they became part of the local agrarian and artisan communities that defined life in southern Germany during the late 1700s. Over several generations, the name transitioned from a simple descriptive label into a permanent family identifier that was passed down through the lineage as they moved through the changing political and social structures of the region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Kurz
A German adjective meaning short or brief.
This name
KurtzmanAn occupational or descriptive name for a man of short physical stature.
also spelled
Kurtsman
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
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
