A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Barres family of France.
Reg. 3756 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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 deux fasces de gu.”
Francec. 1663
Where the Barres Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the Barres arms are recorded
The Barres 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 Barres 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 Barres Family in France
The surname Barres originates from the French word barre, which historically referred to a barrier, a gate, or a boundary marker. Families who carried this name often lived near a significant physical obstruction, such as a toll gate, a fence, or a river crossing that required a payment to pass. By the mid-seventeenth century, members of the Barres family were firmly established in the region of Bretagne. During this era, life in Bretagne was defined by close-knit rural communities and a deep connection to the local landscape. Families like the Barres were likely involved in agriculture or trade, relying on the natural features of their environment to define their property and their place in the local society. As they settled into the Breton countryside, the name became a permanent fixture of their identity, linking their daily lives to the specific geography of the land they called home.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Barra
A Gaulish or Old French term referring to a barrier or gate.
This name
BarresA topographic name for someone who lived near a gate, barrier, or defensive fortification.
also spelled
Barre
Barrez
Bar
Related arms
Barrevariant spelling
Barrezvariant spelling
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
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse. Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille. 1991
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine. Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil. 1663
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
