Map of Germany showing where the Schnick arms are recorded
The Schnick arms were recorded in Saxony, c. 1765.
Saxony had mines, trade and old landed families all at once. Silver made some fortunes and land held others, and both sorts of family kept arms, which is why Saxon names appear so often 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.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Schnick 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 Saxony.
Origin & History of the Schnick Family in Germany
The surname Schnick is deeply rooted in the historical region of Saxony, where family members were documented as early as 1765. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or a shortened form of a longer given name, a common practice in German-speaking lands during the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. In the local dialect of that era, the term often carried connotations related to quickness, sharp movements, or even a specific type of craft-related tool. As families in the Saxon countryside transitioned from rural life to more structured village communities, the name became a fixed identifier passed down through generations. By the mid-18th century, families bearing this name were well-established within the social fabric of the region, participating in the agricultural and trade-based economy that defined the Saxon landscape during the Enlightenment.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Schnicken
To move quickly, twitch, or cut with a sharp motion.
This name
SchnickA nickname for a quick, agile person or someone who makes sharp, sudden movements.
also spelled
Schoncke
Shonk
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
Heintze, Albert. Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich. 1903
Sächsisches Staatsarchiv. Kirchenbücher der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Landeskirche Sachsens. 1765
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saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
