A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Leiman family of Germany.
Reg. 0813 · German, J–L
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Coupé: au 1 d'arg. à trois los. accolées de gu., touchant les bords de l'écu; au 2 de gu. à deux los. accolées d'arg., touchant les bords. C.: un chapeau piramidal de gu., retr. d'arg. à trois los. accolées de gu., sommé d'une boule d'or, supp. trois pl. d'aut., une d'arg. entre deux de gu.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1765
Where the Leiman Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Leiman arms are recorded
The Leiman arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1765.
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 Leiman 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 Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Leiman Family in Germany
The surname Leiman originates from the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, with deep roots in the historical state of Bavaria. By 1765, records confirm that families bearing this name were well-established within the Bavarian landscape. The name is generally classified as a topographic or occupational surname, likely derived from the Middle High German word "leim," which refers to clay or loam. This suggests that early ancestors may have lived near clay-rich soil or worked as potters and brickmakers. During the eighteenth century, the region was characterized by small, tight-knit agricultural communities where family identities were closely tied to the local land and specific trade crafts. As these families grew, the name became a permanent marker of their heritage and their long-standing connection to the Bavarian countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Lehm
German word for loam or clay soil.
This name
LeimanAn occupational name for a worker who lived or worked on clay-rich soil.
also spelled
Leiman
Leymann
Leimann
Layman
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 Familiennamen, geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
