A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Banville family of France.
Reg. 4122 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. au pal d'arg., accosté de six molettes du même.”
Francec. 1663
Where the Banville Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the Banville arms are recorded
The Banville 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 Banville 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 Banville Family in France
The family name Banville originates from the historic region of Normandy in northern France, where it functioned as a locative surname derived from the village of Banville. By the mid-seventeenth century, members of the family had established a notable presence in the neighboring province of Bretagne. Records from 1663 confirm that individuals bearing this name were settled within the Breton social landscape during a period of significant regional development. The family likely moved westward from their ancestral Norman lands to seek new opportunities in the coastal towns and rural parishes of Bretagne. Over the following decades, the name became firmly rooted in the local culture, reflecting the broader patterns of internal migration that shaped the demographics of western France during the early modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
villa
Latin term for a country house, farm, or estate.
This name
BanvilleRefers to a person who lived at or near a village or country estate.
also spelled
Banvil
Banvylle
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Albert Dauzat, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Série B: Cours et juridictions
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paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
