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'arg. à la fasce de sa., ch. de trois molettes d'or.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Andrieu family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à la fasce de sa., ch. de trois molettes d'or.”
The Andrieu 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 surname Andrieu is a French variation of the name Andrew, which originates from the Greek word for manliness or strength. By the mid-seventeenth century, the family was well-established in the region of Normandie, a coastal area in northern France known for its deep agricultural roots and maritime history. In 1663, records confirm that members of the Andrieu family were living and working within this province, likely participating in the local farming or trade communities that defined the era. Because the name was derived from a popular saint, it spread across various French provinces through religious tradition and local naming customs. Families like the Andrieus often lived in small rural parishes where they maintained land and contributed to the growth of their local villages. Their presence in Normandie during this time reflects a period of stability for many families who helped shape the cultural identity of the region before the major social changes of the following century.
Derived from the Greek word for man or manly.
