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 au lion d'or, tenant une épée du même; au chef d'arg., ch. de trois mouch. d'herm. de sa.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Barberie family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur au lion d'or, tenant une épée du même; au chef d'arg., ch. de trois mouch. d'herm. de sa.”
The Barberie arms were recorded in Normandie, c. 1611.
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 Barberie family name finds its historical roots in the region of Normandy, France, where members of the family were documented as early as 1611. The name is generally categorized as an occupational surname, likely derived from the French word "barbier," which refers to a barber or a surgeon. During the seventeenth century, individuals in this profession often held a respected status in French society because they provided essential medical services, such as minor surgery and dentistry, in addition to grooming. As the family established itself in the Norman countryside, they became part of the local social fabric during a time of significant religious and political change in France. Many families with this name eventually moved away from their ancestral home due to the shifting landscape of the era, carrying their history and identity across borders to new regions.
Derived from the Latin word barba meaning beard.
