A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Rothchild family of Germany.
Reg. 0793 · German, P–S
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Éc.: aux 1 et 4 d'or à la demi-aigle de sa., mouv. du parti; aux 2 et 3 d'azur à un bras de carn., mouv. du parti, tenant cinq flèches d'arg., les pointes en bas. Cq. cour. C.: une aigle de sa. - (Barons autrichiens, 29 sept. 1822.) Éc.: au 1 d'or à l'aigle de sa.; au 2 d'azur à un bras de carn., mouv. du flanc sen., tenant cinq flèches d'arg., les pointes en bas; au 3 comme au 2, le bras mouv. du flanc dextre; au 4 d'or au lion de gu. Sur le tout de gu. à un bouclier ovale d'arg., posé en barre, ayant un nombril au centre. Trois cq. cour. C.: 1º une étoile d'or, entre deux prob., coupées alt. d'or et de sa.; 2º l'aigle; 3º trois pl. d'aut., une d'arg. entre deux d'azur. L.: à dextre d'or et de sa.. à sen. d'arg. et d'azur. S.: à dextre un lion d'or; à sen. une licorne d'arg. D.: CONCORDIA, INTEGRITAS, INDUSTRIA.”
NaplesFrancfort s · Naples, c. 1765
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Map of Germany showing where the Rothchild arms are recorded
The Rothchild arms were recorded in Naples, c. 1765.
Naples was the largest city in Italy and the seat of a kingdom. Its noble houses were numerous, and the kingdom kept formal lists of the families entitled to arms, which is why so many appear in the records.
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 Rothchild 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 Naples.
Origin & History of the Rothchild Family in Germany
The Rothschild family name originated in the crowded Jewish quarter of Frankfurt, Germany, during the sixteenth century. The name is derived from the German phrase "zum roten Schild," which translates to "at the red shield." This name was taken from the house where the family lived, as homes in that era were identified by signs rather than street numbers. By the mid-eighteenth century, the family had established themselves as significant figures in European finance. Records confirm that family members were active in Naples by 1765, where they began to build a vast network of banking connections. This early presence in Italy helped the family expand their influence far beyond their humble beginnings in the Frankfurt ghetto. Through careful management and strategic movement across major European cities, the family transformed their name into a symbol of international wealth and economic power.
Rothchild Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
rot schild
Red shield or sign of a house with a red shield.
This name
RothchildDerived from a house sign in the Frankfurt Jewish ghetto featuring a red shield.
also spelled
Rodschild
Rothchild
Rothshild
Rothschildt
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Ferguson, Niall, The House of Rothschild: Money's Prophets, 1798–1848, 1998
Morton, Frederic, The Rothschilds: A Family Portrait, 1962
Archives Nationales de France, Fonds Rothschild (132 AQ)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
