A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Pullis family of Germany.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à la fascée entée de sa.; à la bord. du même. C.: une tête et col de bélier d'arg., accornée d'or (Arm. v. G.)”
The Pullis arms were recorded in Westphalia, c. 1765.
Westphalia was a land of small estates and fortified farmhouses in western Germany. Its families were numerous and not especially rich, but each held its own ground, and holding ground was what brought arms.
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.
Reigning in Germany when the Pullis arms are first recorded.
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.
The family name Pullis is deeply rooted in the historical region of Westphalia, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1765. During the eighteenth century, Westphalia was a patchwork of small territories within the Holy Roman Empire, characterized by a strong agricultural tradition and a growing craft industry. Families in this area often derived their surnames from local geographic landmarks, specific occupations, or nicknames that described a person's traits. The name Pullis likely emerged from these local dialects, reflecting the linguistic shifts common in the German-speaking lands of that era. As the family moved through the changing political landscape of the late 1700s, they remained part of the resilient rural population that defined the social fabric of the region. This early presence in Westphalia suggests that the ancestors of the Pullis family were deeply connected to the land and the community life of the German interior during a period of significant social transition.
Latin term meaning a young animal or chicken.
