A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Wickersheim family of France.
Reg. 2779 · French, W–Z
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
hat or capDignity, and the honour of office
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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 un bonnet conique d'arg., retr. d'herm., les cordons noués d'arg. ou de sa. C.: un chapeau piramidal de gu., retr. d'arg., supp. une boule d'or sommée d'un panache de plumes de coq de sa. - Armes mod.: De gu. (ou de sa.) à une patte d'oie d'arg., en pal, les ongles en bas, le genou à dextre. C.: deux pattes d'oie d'arg., les ongles en haut.”
AlsaceAlsace, c. 1663
Where the Wickersheim Arms Were Recorded
Alsace
Map of France showing where the Wickersheim arms are recorded
The Wickersheim arms were recorded in Alsace, c. 1663.
Alsace lay between France and the German lands and belonged to both at different times. Its families held small estates and served whichever side ruled, and men who served in arms carried arms of their own.
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 France in this period.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Wickersheim arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in France
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
Granting authority
The Juge d'armes de France acted as the official authority that regulated and verified coats of arms across the country.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms from ancestors, though they could also receive them through royal grants or by proving their noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Armorial Général de France, which began its main collection in the year 1696.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Alsace.
Origin & History of the Wickersheim Family in France
The family name Wickersheim originates from the Alsace region of France, a territory historically shaped by its position between French and German cultural influences. Records confirm that members of the family were established in this area by 1663, a time when the region was recovering from the long and destructive Thirty Years' War. The name itself is locational, likely derived from the village of Wickersheim in the Bas-Rhin department. In the seventeenth century, families often adopted the names of their home villages to distinguish themselves as they moved or grew within the local community. Living in Alsace during this period meant the family navigated a complex landscape of shifting political borders and agricultural life. Because the region was a crossroads for trade and migration, the early Wickersheim family members were part of a resilient population that rebuilt local society through farming and regional commerce.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Wicker + Heim
Derived from the Germanic name Wigheri meaning warrior and home or settlement.
This name
WickersheimRefers to a settlement or home belonging to a person named Wigheri.
also spelled
Wickersheym
Wickersheime
Wickersheimh
Wickershime
Vickershime
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Bas-Rhin, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Himly, François-Jacques, Chronologie de la Basse-Alsace, 1972
Séguy, Jean, Les Alsaciens et leur histoire, 1977
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
hat or capDignity, and the honour of office
hat or capDignity, and the honour of office
