A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Von Stein family of Germany.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De gu. à trois bannetons d'or. C.: une tête et col d'homme, de profil, hab. d'or, coiffée d'un capuchon de gu.”
The Von Stein 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.
Reigning in Germany when the Von Stein arms are first recorded.
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.
The name Von Stein originated in the German-speaking regions as a topographic surname, which means it was derived from the physical landscape where the family lived. In German, the word "Stein" translates to stone or rock, suggesting that the earliest ancestors likely resided near a prominent rocky outcrop, a stone fortification, or a stony piece of land. By 1765, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in the Swabia region, a historical area in southwestern Germany known for its distinct cultural identity and rugged terrain. During this period, families in Swabia often used the "Von" prefix to signify a connection to a specific place or a local landholding. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the Swabian countryside, where they lived as farmers, craftsmen, or local officials who were deeply tied to the geography of their home.
A hard mineral substance or rock formation.
