A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Vick family of Germany.
Reg. 1213 · German, W–Z
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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 une étoile d'or. C.: un homme iss., hab. d'azur, coiffé d'un bonnet pointu du même, tenant de sa main dextre une massue d'or, le manche en haut.”
BavariaBavaria, c. 1765
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Map of Germany showing where the Vick arms are recorded
The Vick 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 Vick 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 Vick Family in Germany
The family name Vick has deep roots in the historical region of Bavaria, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1765. During the eighteenth century, Bavaria was a collection of territories governed by the Wittelsbach dynasty, and life for families like the Vicks often revolved around agriculture, local trade, or skilled craftsmanship within small village communities. The name itself likely evolved from older Germanic naming traditions, potentially serving as a shortened form of names containing the element "wig," which translates to war or battle. As people in this region began to adopt more permanent surnames for tax and census purposes, the name Vick became a way to identify specific family lines within their local parishes. These early ancestors lived through a time of significant social change in Central Europe, as the region transitioned from feudal structures toward the more modern administrative systems that defined the late eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Vicarius
Latin term meaning a substitute, deputy, or representative.
This name
VickA status-based surname originally denoting someone who served as a deputy or vicar.
also spelled
Vyk
Vic
Related arms
Vicvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bavarian State Archives (Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv), Kurbayern Hofkammer Buchhaltung
Bavarian State Archives (Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv), General-Landes-Archivalien
Gottschald, Max, Deutsche Namenkunde: Unsere Familiennamen nach ihrer Entstehung und Bedeutung, 1971
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1933
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