A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Aime family of France.
Reg. 5303 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
shipEnterprise, and a great voyage undertaken
riverThe bounds of a land, and life carried through it
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Az. a ship in full sail or, in the sea ppr”
Francec. 1663
Where the Aime Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the Aime arms are recorded
The Aime 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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in France in this period.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Aime arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in France
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.
Granting authority
The Juge d'armes de France acted as the official authority that regulated and verified coats of arms across the country.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms from ancestors, though they could also receive them through royal grants or by proving their noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Armorial Général de France, which began its main collection in the year 1696.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of France.
Origin & History of the Aime Family in France
The name Aime traces its roots to the historic region of Bretagne in northwestern France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well established within this rugged coastal territory. The name itself is derived from the Old French word for beloved, which suggests it began as a descriptive nickname or a term of endearment for an ancestor. During the seventeenth century, families in Bretagne often lived in close-knit rural communities where they worked as farmers or artisans. Because the region was culturally distinct from the rest of France, the Aime family likely participated in local traditions and spoke the regional languages common to the area at that time. Over the generations, the family name became a permanent fixture of the local landscape, marking their presence in the parish records and civil documents of the Breton countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
amare
A Latin verb meaning to love or to be fond of.
This name
AimeDerived from the Old French word for beloved or dear.
also spelled
Ayme
Aymes
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Le Moyne de La Borderie, Arthur, Histoire de Bretagne, 1896
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
shipEnterprise, and a great voyage undertaken
riverThe bounds of a land, and life carried through it
shipEnterprise, and a great voyage undertaken
riverThe bounds of a land, and life carried through it
