A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Schwander family of Germany.
Reg. 8017 · German, T–V
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
shipEnterprise, and a great voyage undertaken
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à un brancard de mar-chand de vin de gu., posé en bande. C.: une boule coupée d'arg. sur gu.”
SwabiaSwabia, c. 1765
Where the Schwander Arms Were Recorded
Swabia
Map of Germany showing where the Schwander arms are recorded
The Schwander arms were recorded in Swabia, c. 1765.
Swabia was broken into a great many small territories in southern Germany, and each had its own landowners and its own leading townsmen. That fragmentation produced an unusual number of families with 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.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Schwander 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 Swabia.
Origin & History of the Schwander Family in Germany
The family name Schwander is rooted in the linguistic traditions of the German-speaking regions of Central Europe. It is classified as a topographic surname, which means it was originally used to identify people based on the landscape where they lived. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "swant," which refers to a piece of forest land that has been cleared for farming or settlement. By the time ancestors of the family were documented in the Swabia region in 1765, the name had likely been in use for several generations as a way to distinguish families who worked or resided on these specific types of cleared plots. As people moved from rural areas into growing towns during the eighteenth century, the name became a permanent way to track family lineage and local identity within the Swabian administrative districts.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Schwand
A clearing in a forest created by burning or cutting trees.
This name
SchwanderAn occupational or topographic name for someone who lived near or worked on cleared forest land.
also spelled
Schwande
Schwands
Schwander
Shvant
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
Gottschald, Max, Deutsche Namenkunde: Unsere Familiennamen nach ihrer Entstehung und Bedeutung, 1971
Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Kirchenbücher der evangelischen und katholischen Pfarreien in Schwaben, 1765
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
shipEnterprise, and a great voyage undertaken
shipEnterprise, and a great voyage undertaken
