Map of Germany showing where the Patereau arms are recorded
The Patereau 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 Patereau 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 Patereau Family in Germany
The family name Patereau likely originated as a descriptive term or a localized identifier within the Germanic regions of Central Europe. By 1765, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in Bavaria, a region known for its complex social structures and agricultural traditions. During this period, families often settled in specific rural districts where they contributed to the local economy through farming or skilled trade. The name itself suggests a connection to ancestral roots or a specific geographic location that was common for families living in the Holy Roman Empire during the eighteenth century. As these individuals moved through the Bavarian landscape, they became part of the regional history that defined the social fabric of southern Germany before the major political changes of the nineteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Pater
Latin word meaning father or a male ancestor.
This name
PatereauA locative or occupational surname likely denoting a descendant of a father figure or priest.
also spelled
Petero
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
wheatsheafPlenty, and the harvest of one's own labour
