A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Reisner family of Germany.
Reg. 9341 · German, P–S
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“Ec.: aux 1 et 4 de gu. à une étoile d'or; aux 2 et 3 d'or au lion de gu., cour. d'or. Cq. cour. C.: une étoile d'or; entre un vol coupé d'or sur gu. L.: d'or et de gu.”
Germanyc. 1613
Where the Reisner Arms Were Recorded
Bavaria
Map of Germany showing where the Reisner arms are recorded
The Reisner arms were recorded in Germany, c. 1613.
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.
Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor
1612–1619
Reigning in Germany when the Reisner 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 Reisner Family in Germany
The family name Reisner is rooted in the historical landscape of Bavaria, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1613. The name is occupational in origin, derived from the Middle High German word "reis," which referred to a twig, branch, or brushwood. It likely served as a descriptive surname for someone who worked as a woodcutter, a gatherer of brushwood, or a person who lived near a dense thicket. During the early 17th century, the region of Bavaria was a complex patchwork of territories influenced by the Holy Roman Empire and the religious tensions of the era. Families like the Reisners were often tied to the land through agriculture or forestry, and their surname helped distinguish them within their local communities as they navigated the social and economic shifts of the early modern period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Reis
A twig, branch, or shoot of a plant or tree.
This name
ReisnerAn occupational surname for someone who worked with branches, such as a woodcutter or basket maker.
also spelled
Reizner
Reissner
Ryzner
Risner
Related arms
Reussnersimilar arms
Siebersimilar arms
Tepper de Trzbon-Fergusonsimilar arms
Reissnervariant spelling
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
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
lionCourage, strength and royalty
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
lionCourage, strength and royalty
