A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Widner family of Germany.
Reg. 4808 · German, W–Z
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
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 sa. à un dextrochère, d'arg., tenant un tilleul arr. de sin., par le fût. C.: le bras en pal, accosté du tilleul qu'il tient par le sommet; le tout entre un vol de sa.”
GermanyNuremberg, c. 1765
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Map of Germany showing where the Widner arms are recorded
The Widner arms were recorded in Nuremberg, c. 1765.
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 Widner 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 Germany.
Origin & History of the Widner Family in Germany
The surname Widner is deeply connected to the historical landscape of southern Germany, with records confirming that members of the family were established in the city of Nuremberg by 1765. The name likely originated as a descriptive term for a person who worked as a woodcutter or lived near a wooded area, as it shares linguistic roots with the German word for wood. During the eighteenth century, Nuremberg was a thriving center for trade and craftsmanship, which suggests that early Widner families were likely involved in the city’s bustling mercantile or artisan guilds. As residents of such a prominent urban hub, these ancestors were part of a sophisticated society that valued record-keeping, allowing their presence to be documented in municipal registers. Over time, the family name became a permanent fixture in the region, reflecting the steady migration and professional growth of families living in the Holy Roman Empire during the late Enlightenment period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Widener
Derived from the Middle High German word for a willow tree.
This name
WidnerAn occupational or topographic name for someone who lived near a willow tree or worked with willow wood.
also spelled
Weidener
Waidner
Wydner
Vydner
Widner
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Stadtarchiv Nürnberg, Bürgerbücher der Stadt Nürnberg (1765)
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familiennamen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich (1903)
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt (1967)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
armA person of action, industrious and laborious
