A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Anquetil family of France.
leafHappiness and abundanceJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à trois feuilles de chêne de sin.”
The Anquetil 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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in France in this period.
Reigning in France when the Anquetil arms are first recorded.
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 Anquetil traces its roots to the Viking settlers who arrived in northern France during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old Norse name Asketill, which combines the words for god and sacrificial cauldron. By the time the family was firmly established in the Normandy region in 1663, they were part of a long tradition of families living in the rural parishes of the Cotentin Peninsula. Many early members of the family worked as farmers or artisans, deeply connected to the local land and the specific customs of the Norman people. Over several generations, the name became a distinct marker of identity for those living in the coastal villages, reflecting a heritage that blended Scandinavian origins with the evolving culture of northern France.
Old Norse compound meaning eagle and sacrificial cauldron or helmet.
