A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Tan family of Germany.
Reg. 1459 · German, T–V
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
troutPlenty, and the rivers of the family's country
Colours
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)
“De gu. à une truite au nat., lorrée et pautrée d'or, courbée en demi-cercle, la tête et la queue en bas. Cq. cour. C.: la truite, br. sur un chapeau pyramidal de gu., cour. d'or, sommé de trois pl. d'aut., une de gu. entre deux d'arg. L. d'arg. et de gu. - (Branche de Conrad: barons du St.-Empire, 7 juin 1704) Ec.: aux 1 et 4 d'arg. à un sapin arr. au nat.; aux 2 et 3 d'or au lion d'azur, cour. d'or (Streitberg). Sur le tout les armes de famille. Trois cq. cour. C.: 1º une femme iss. et cont., hab. de gu., portant sur sa tête un monde d'azur, cintré et croisé d'or, tenant de sa main dextre une faucille d'arg., sommée de trois plumes de paon au nat., le tranchant de la faucille tourné vers le visage de la femme; 2º le cimier de la famille; 3º un chevalier iss., arm. d'arg., la visière levée, le casque sommé de trois pl. d'aut., une d'azur entre deux d'or, tenant de sa main dextre levée une épée en pal, et appuyant sa sen. sur la garde d'un sabre, iss. à-demi de la couronne. L.: à dextre d'arg. et de gu., à sen. d'or et d'azur. T.: à dextre un homme sauvage, à sen. une femme sauvage, tous deux de carn., ceints et cour. de lierre et tenant une massue.”
BavariaBade · Bavaria, c. 1765
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Map of Germany showing where the Tan arms are recorded
The Tan arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1765.
Bavaria was a country of old landed families and walled market towns. Estates passed down the same line for centuries, and both the landowners and the leading townsmen kept arms, which is why so many Bavarian names sit 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 Tan 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 Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Tan Family in Germany
The family name Tan has deep roots in the historical region of Bavaria, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1765. During this period, the name was closely tied to the rural landscapes and local administrative systems of southern Germany. Families with this name often lived in small agricultural communities where they contributed to the local economy through farming or skilled craftsmanship. As the region underwent shifts in governance and social organization during the late eighteenth century, the Tan family remained a part of the local fabric, maintaining their presence through generations of community life. Their history reflects the broader experience of families living in the Bavarian countryside, where names were often passed down through village records and parish registers that tracked births, marriages, and deaths.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Tann
Old High German word for a fir tree or forest
This name
TanA topographic name for someone who lived near a fir forest or woodland
also spelled
Tanne
Thann
Tanns
Tan
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
troutPlenty, and the rivers of the family's country
