A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Avignon family of France.
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mindJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à trois aigles d'or.”
The Avignon arms were recorded in France, c. 1587.
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.
Reigning in France when the Avignon 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 family name Avignon is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of France, with documented evidence placing members of the family in the region of Bretagne as early as 1587. While the name itself is identical to the famous city in Provence, families bearing this surname in the northern regions likely adopted it as a way to identify their origins or ancestral connections to the south. During the late sixteenth century, Bretagne was a period of significant social transition, and families like the Avignons often integrated into local administrative or merchant circles. Because surnames were still becoming standardized during this era, the presence of the name in official records suggests that these individuals were recognized members of their community who held a distinct identity. Over time, the family name became a permanent marker of their lineage, reflecting the movement and settlement patterns of people across the French provinces during the Renaissance.
A pre-Roman Gaulish name likely derived from a river deity.
