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 à la bande d'arg., ch. de cinq mouch. d'herm. de sa., posées dans le sens de la bande.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Amyot family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à la bande d'arg., ch. de cinq mouch. d'herm. de sa., posées dans le sens de la bande.”
The Amyot arms were recorded in Normandie, c. 1663.
Normandie held a dense crowd of knightly families on some of the best farmland in France. Its men had fought and settled abroad for generations, and a family that sent sons to war needed a shield they could be recognised by.
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 Amyot has deep roots in the historical region of Normandy, France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in this area before many of them began the long journey across the Atlantic to settle in New France. The name itself is believed to be a diminutive form of the name Amy, which translates to friend in old French. During the seventeenth century, families like the Amyots were often part of the rural population that worked the land or served in local trades. As these individuals moved from Normandy to the St. Lawrence Valley, they brought their specific regional customs and traditions with them, helping to build the foundation of early colonial society. Their migration was part of a larger movement of French citizens who sought new opportunities in North America while maintaining strong ties to their ancestral heritage.
Derived from the Old French word for friend or beloved.
