A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Smedberg family of Germany.
Reg. 2613 · German, T–V
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à deux carpes nageantes d'arg., l'une sur l'autre. Cq. cour. C.: une carpe d'arg., posée en pal, entre deux pl. d'aut. d'azur [La branche de Silésie porte: De gu. à deux carpes nageantes d'arg., l'une sur l'autre, celle en chef cont. Cq. cour. C.: une carpe d'arg., posée en pal, entre deux pl. d'aut. de gu.]”
PomeraniaPomerania, c. 1765
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Map of Germany showing where the Smedberg arms are recorded
The Smedberg arms were recorded in Pomerania, c. 1765.
Pomerania was flat farming country on the Baltic coast, held in large estates by a small number of families. They kept their land for generations, and generations of landholding is what fills 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 Smedberg 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 Pomerania.
Origin & History of the Smedberg Family in Germany
The family name Smedberg originates from the Swedish language and combines the words for smith and mountain. This suggests that the earliest ancestors likely worked as blacksmiths or lived near a prominent hill or rocky outcrop. By 1765, records confirm that members of the family were established in the region of Pomerania. At that time, Pomerania was a complex territory with shifting borders between Sweden and Prussia. The family likely migrated to this area due to the strong economic and political ties between the Swedish crown and the Baltic coastal regions. Settling in this area allowed the family to integrate into a society that valued skilled metalwork and trade. Over the following generations, the name remained a marker of their northern heritage as they adapted to the changing cultural landscape of Central Europe.
Smedberg Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Smid-Berg
A blacksmith working near a mountain or hill.
This name
SmedbergRefers to a person who lived near a mountain and worked as a blacksmith.
also spelled
Schmiedberg
Shmedeburg
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Hellquist, Elof. Svensk etymologisk ordbok. 1922
Liedgren, Rutger. Svenska släktnamn: deras uppkomst och betydelse. 1947
Riksarkivet (National Archives of Sweden), Biografica
Landesarchiv Greifswald (State Archive of Greifswald), Kirchenbücher der schwedischen Zeit in Pommern
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fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
fishA true and generous mind, and Christian faith
