German Surname Series

This series deals with Germanic family surnames and heraldry. German heraldry is unlike British heraldry where a coat-of-arms is associated with one person. Siler's books includes arms that originated as house marks, guild marks, and burgher arms that have been used by families for centuries. Also included are noble armorial bearings that have been granted to the children of an individual and have been passed down through descendants.

The volumes are heavily footnoted, allowing the researcher to locate and examine the original source materials from which the author drew his information. An amazing place index is found at the rear of each book, allowing genealogists to often associate a specific place with the family. It is the author's belief that there is often a coat of arms that may be associated with one's European ancestor. It may not be that of a direct ancestor or that of one's ancestral family, but it could well be linked, if only by the proximity of geographical location.