A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Saxena family of Germany.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Parti d'or et de gu. C.: un ours assis de sa., la patte dextre levée.”
The Saxena arms were recorded in Silesia, c. 1765.
Silesia was farming country in the east of the German lands, held in large estates by families who stayed put for generations. Owning land was what entitled a family to arms, so the region fills a good deal of the register.
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 Saxena 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 Saxena traces its roots to the historical region of Silesia, where records confirm members of the family were established by 1765. The name itself is closely linked to the Latin term Saxones, which historically referred to the people living in the lands of Saxony. As families moved eastward into the Silesian territories during the eighteenth century, they often adopted names that reflected their ancestral origins or their status as newcomers from the Saxon regions. During this period, Silesia was a diverse area undergoing significant social and economic shifts under Prussian administration. Families like the Saxenas were often involved in the local trade, agriculture, or administrative roles that defined the region at the time. By settling in this area, the family became part of the complex cultural landscape that connected the Germanic traditions of the west with the emerging social structures of central Europe.
Derived from the Germanic tribe known as the Saxons or seax knife.
