Anker, also spelled Ancher, is a Danish and Norwegian noble family living in Norway. The name means anchor.
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The family came to Norway's capital Oslo with Erich Olufsen Ancher (1644–1699), who was a representative for merchant Peter Bahrum in Lübeck. His parents were trader Oluf Erichsson († 1682) and Kirsten in Gothenburg. In Christiania, which was Oslo's name in those days, Erik Ancher became a wealthy trader, and through his marriage with Maren Lauritzdatter, he entered the city's circles of rich merchants.
Among their sons, priest Bernt Erichsen Ancher (1680–1724) got the sons Erich Berntsen Ancher (1709–1785) and Christian Berntsen Ancher (1711–1765). Due to big trade, purchase of estates, and wealthy spouses, the family became a prominent family within the trade patriciate in Eastern Norway.
Members of the two principal branches above, were on 14 of January 1778 ennobled under the name Anker. They claimed to descend from the Swedish noble family Anckar, but this is not proven. The family name likely derived from their progenitor Oluf Erichsson in Gothenburg, who was an anchor smith.
Most of the family member's businesses and properties left their possession during the 1800s. The Anker Entailed Estate (Norwegian: Det ankerske Fideikomiss) in Oslo went bankrupt in 1819, and the estate complex related to Bogstad Head Farm and Nordmarka was through women inherited by the families Wedel-Jarlsberg, Løvenskiold and Egeberg. Bogstad Head Farm and Rød Head Farm became foundations in the latest part of the 1900s.
Description: On a red shield with a narrow golden egde, a black anchor with a golden anchor stick, and through a black anchor ring three crossed black arrows. On the helm a noble coronet, and above this a six-pointed star between buffalo horns divided in red, gold, and black, vice versa, respectively. Supporters: On the dexter side a bear, and on the siniter side a wolf. Both have natural colours, and their heads are directed away from the shield.
Before the ennoblement, some family members used arms displaying an anchor under two stars, and above the helm the allegorical character Spes between two hart horns.
The noble arms were brought closer to the extinct Swedish noble family Anckar's arms, which displayed an anchor with two arrows.
Latin: Gloria ex utile.