Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur, fretté d'arg.; à la fasce d'herm., br. sur le tout.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Abady family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur, fretté d'arg.; à la fasce d'herm., br. sur le tout.”
The Abady arms were recorded in France, c. 1663.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
More families held coats of arms in Bretagne than anywhere else in France. The land was divided into many small estates rather than a few large ones, so far more households counted as gentry, and each needed a shield of its own to be told apart.
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.
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.
The family name Abady has deep roots in the Brittany region of France, where records confirm members of the family were established by 1663. During the seventeenth century, Brittany was a distinct province with its own unique customs and strong ties to maritime trade. Families living in this coastal area often adapted their names based on local dialects or the specific parishes where they resided. The name likely evolved from regional linguistic patterns common to the Breton people, who maintained a culture separate from the rest of France for many generations. By the mid-1600s, the Abady family was part of a stable society that relied on agriculture and local commerce to sustain their communities. These early ancestors lived through a time of significant transition in French history, as the central government began to exert more control over the provinces, yet they managed to maintain their local identity and family lineage within the rural landscape of western France.
Derived from the Semitic root meaning father or source of authority.
