A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Poth family of Germany.
Reg. 5929 · German, P–S
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à un Mercure de carn., enveloppé d'un voile d'or, posé de front et en bande, les bras étendus en barre, tenant de sa main dextre son caducée aussi en barre; à un tertre d'or en p. Cq. cour. C.: le caducée, en pal, entre un vol d'or, les plumes ext. d'azur.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1769
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Map of Germany showing where the Poth arms are recorded
The Poth arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1769.
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.
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
1765–1790
Reigning in Germany when the Poth 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 Poth Family in Germany
The surname Poth is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of Bavaria, where records confirm the family was established by at least 1769. The name is classified as a topographic or habitational surname, likely derived from the Middle High German word "pott" or "pot," which referred to a depression in the landscape or a small, enclosed valley. Families often adopted such names to identify where they lived or worked, suggesting that the early ancestors of the Poth line were likely farmers or laborers who settled in the fertile, rolling terrain of southern Germany. During the eighteenth century, life in Bavaria was defined by small village communities and agricultural traditions, and the Poth family would have been integral to these local social structures. As the family grew, they remained tied to the regional customs and dialects of the Bavarian countryside, maintaining their presence in the area through generations of steady community life.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bodo
Derived from the Germanic word meaning messenger or herald.
This name
PothA topographic name for someone living near a pond or a small body of water.
also spelled
Pothe
Pot
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
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
