A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bardy family of France.
Reg. 0366 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
acornAntiquity and strength from small beginnings
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à un arbre d'arg., accosté de deux chevreuils affr. d'or, ramp. contre le fût; au chef du troisième, ch. de trois châtaignes de sin.”
LanguedocLanguedoc, c. 1663
Where the Bardy Arms Were Recorded
Languedoc
Map of France showing where the Bardy arms are recorded
The Bardy arms were recorded in Languedoc, c. 1663.
Languedoc stretched across the south of France, a country of small towns, vineyards and old local families. Its gentry were numerous rather than grand, and a great many of them held arms even where their estates were modest.
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 Bardy 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 Languedoc.
Origin & History of the Bardy Family in France
The surname Bardy is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of the Languedoc region in southern France. By the mid-seventeenth century, records confirm that families bearing this name were well-established in the area, particularly around the Gard and Hérault departments. The name is often classified as a locative or descriptive surname, likely originating from the Occitan language spoken throughout the region during the Middle Ages. It may have been used to identify individuals who lived near specific geographic features or those who held a particular status within their local village communities. As the family grew, they became integrated into the agricultural and social fabric of the Languedoc countryside, where they lived through the complex religious and political shifts of the seventeenth century. Their presence in the region by 1663 suggests that the Bardy family was part of the stable, land-owning or artisan classes that formed the backbone of rural French society before the modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
bardus
Latin term referring to a poet or a minstrel.
This name
BardyAn occupational surname for a singer, poet, or someone who performed songs.
also spelled
Bardie
Bardey
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Gard, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Bouchard, Gérard, Origine des noms de famille, 2002
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
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