A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Orth family of Germany.
Reg. 6478 · German, M–O
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“D'or au lion de gu., tenant de sa patte dextre une flèche du même, arm. et empennée d'azur, en barre, la pointe en bas. Deux cq. cour. C.: 1° le lion, iss. et cont., tenant la flèche de sa patte sen.; 2° trois pl. d'aut., une d'or entre deux de gu. L. d'or et de gu. [V. Ortt.]”
WurttembergWurttemberg, c. 1804
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Map of Germany showing where the Orth arms are recorded
The Orth arms were recorded in Wurttemberg, c. 1804.
Wurttemberg was southern German country of small estates and well-off market towns. Both landowners and leading townsmen kept arms there, so the region carries far more names than its size suggests.
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 II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
1792–1806
Reigning in Germany when the Orth 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 Wurttemberg.
Origin & History of the Orth Family in Germany
The surname Orth is rooted in the German language and carries a descriptive meaning related to geography. In Middle High German, the word *ort* referred to a point, a tip, or the edge of a piece of land. Families who adopted this name often lived near a sharp bend in a river, the corner of a field, or the edge of a village. By the early 19th century, the Orth family was well-established in the region of Württemberg. Records from 1804 confirm their presence in this southwestern German territory, where they likely worked as farmers or tradespeople integrated into the local community. Over generations, the name became a permanent marker of their ancestral ties to the landscape and the specific locations where their forebears first settled.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ort
A point, edge, or place in a settlement or landscape.
This name
OrthRefers to a person who lived at a specific location, corner, or boundary marker.
also spelled
Orthe
Orh
Orrth
Related arms
Orttsimilar arms
Ortt et Ortt de Schonauwensimilar arms
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
Kohlheim, Rosa and Volker Kohlheim, Duden Familiennamen: Herkunft und Bedeutung, 2005
Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Kirchenbücher der evangelischen Kirchengemeinden in Württemberg, 1804
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
