Vogt Coat of Arms & Family Crest
Where the Vogt name began, what it means, and where it was first recorded.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Vogt coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Vogt name
Vogt is a German occupational name for a steward or bailiff, from Middle High German voget, from Latin advocatus. The vogt administered justice and estates on behalf of a lord, a church or a town. The surname is widespread in Germany, especially in the north and west, and in Switzerland.
The bailiff's title
A Vogt, from Latin advocatus, was an official who acted for a lord, abbey or town, holding court and keeping order. As a surname it could mark the officeholder himself or someone in his service.
The name is firmly German-speaking: Forebears estimates about 77,000 bearers in Germany (ranked 71st) and 6,500 in Switzerland. It is also strikingly present in Liechtenstein, where Wikipedia lists several Vogt politicians and in Norway. The 2010 US Census counted 18,061 people named Vogt, ranking it 2,002nd.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Vogt name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Vogt name in Germany. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Switzerland, Norway and the United States; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Vogt family history
Where were the first Vogt families recorded, and how did the spelling change over the centuries? The full report follows the name through the earliest records to find out.
Your full Vogt pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Vogt coat of arms for you.
Vogt name FAQ
What does the Vogt name mean?
Steward, bailiff. Common variants include Voigt, Vogts, Fogt.
Where does the Vogt surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in Switzerland, Norway and the United States.
Is there a Vogt coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Vogt crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Vogt coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
What does Vogt mean?
A bailiff or reeve: an official who governed on behalf of a lord or a church.
Is Vogt Norwegian or German?
German in origin, but it has been established in Norway and Liechtenstein for centuries.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford). Facts and figures: Forebears surname distribution (estimates); US Census Bureau, 2010 surname file; Wikipedia, "Vogt (surname)". Forebears figures are modelled estimates, rounded.