A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Waksman family of Switzerland.
Reg. 5163 · Swiss, W–Z
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
knightChivalry and service in arms
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 mur crén. de sept pièces de gu., aj. de trois fenêtres de sa., 2 et 1, et un homme barbu, arm. de toutes pièces, iss. du mur, la main sen. appuyée sur sa hanche, la dextre tenant une épée en barre; le tout de gu. Cq. cour. C.: l'homme iss.”
SwitzerlandPol, c. 1745
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Map of Switzerland showing where the Waksman arms are recorded
The Waksman arms were recorded in Pol, c. 1745.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bern.
Bern was the largest of the Swiss cantons and ran itself, with its own council and its own courts. Its governing families held office for generations, and office of that kind carried a shield with it.
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 Switzerland in this period.
How Arms Worked in Switzerland
In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.
Granting authority
Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms
Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.
Origin & History of the Waksman Family in Switzerland
The surname Waksman is rooted in the occupational traditions of Central Europe, likely originating as a descriptive name for someone who worked with wax or candles. Historical records confirm that members of the Waksman family were established in the city of Bern by 1745. During this period, the family lived within a society that relied heavily on candle making for light and sealing wax for official documents. As the family settled in Switzerland, they integrated into the local economy and social structure of the region. Over the following generations, the name persisted as a marker of their ancestral trade and their early residency in the Swiss capital. This history reflects the broader patterns of how surnames evolved from the daily labor and geographic movements of families in the eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Wachs
German word for wax or a derivative of the verb to grow.
This name
WaksmanAn occupational surname for a maker or seller of wax products or candles.
also spelled
Waksman
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Burgerarchiv Bern, Bürgerrodel der Stadt Bern
Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, Familiennamenbuch der Schweiz, 1989
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
knightChivalry and service in arms
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
knightChivalry and service in arms
