Map of Germany showing where the Weisenberger arms are recorded
The Weisenberger 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 Weisenberger 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 Weisenberger Family in Germany
The surname Weisenberger is a locative name, meaning it was originally used to identify people based on the place where they lived. In the German language, the name combines the word "Wiese," which means meadow, with "Berg," which means mountain or hill. This suggests that the earliest members of the family likely resided near a meadow situated on a hillside or a mountain slope. By the year 1765, the family was well-established in the Bavaria region of Germany. During this period, most people lived in small rural communities where their identity was closely tied to the local landscape. As the family grew and moved to different towns, the name served as a permanent record of their ancestral connection to the specific geography of the Bavarian countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Wiese
A meadow or a grassy field.
This name
WeisenbergerA person who lived near or worked on a mountain meadow.
also spelled
Weisenburger
Weisenbergher
Wycenberger
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bahlow, Hans. Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt. 1967