A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Barrat family of France.
Reg. 0085 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
hammerHonest labour, and the smith's craft
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à trois maillets d'azur.”
ArtoisArtois, c. 1663
Where the Barrat Arms Were Recorded
Artois
Map of France showing where the Barrat arms are recorded
The Barrat arms were recorded in Artois, c. 1663.
Artois lay on the disputed ground between France and the Low Countries and was fought over for centuries. Families there held their land under arms, and a shield was how a fighting household was known.
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 Barrat 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 Artois.
Origin & History of the Barrat Family in France
The family name Barrat has deep roots in the northern region of France known as Artois. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were already well-established in this area. The name itself is thought to have evolved from old descriptive terms used to identify people based on their personality or their physical traits. In the Middle Ages, names were often adopted to distinguish individuals within growing village communities, and Barrat likely emerged as a way to identify a specific household or a person with a distinct character. Because Artois was a region frequently caught between shifting borders and changing political powers during the seventeenth century, the family likely lived through periods of significant social transition. These early ancestors were part of a resilient population that helped shape the local culture and agricultural life of the French countryside long before modern record-keeping became standardized.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Baro
A Germanic term meaning warrior or free man.
This name
BarratA locative or occupational surname derived from a person of strength or a warrior.
also spelled
Barratt
Barrate
Bara
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
Archives départementales du Pas-de-Calais, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, Series E
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hammerHonest labour, and the smith's craft
hammerHonest labour, and the smith's craft
