A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Belleau family of France.
Reg. 6155 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
Colours
ErmineMeans: Dignity
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'herm. à trois fasces d'azur.”
NormandieNormandie, c. 1663
Where the Belleau Arms Were Recorded
Normandie
Map of France showing where the Belleau arms are recorded
The Belleau arms were recorded in Normandie, c. 1663.
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.
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 Belleau 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 Normandie.
Origin & History of the Belleau Family in France
The surname Belleau originates from the historic region of Normandy in northern France. The name is descriptive in nature, likely derived from the French words for beautiful and water, suggesting that the earliest families lived near a scenic stream or a pleasant spring. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the Belleau family were well-established in the Norman landscape, living through a period of significant social and agricultural change. Many individuals bearing this name were part of the rural population that helped shape the local economy of the province. As the seventeenth century progressed, some members of the family eventually transitioned from their ancestral Norman roots to participate in the growing movement toward the French colonies in North America. This migration helped preserve the name and its linguistic heritage across the Atlantic, where it remains a recognized link to the family's deep roots in French history.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bellus
Latin term meaning beautiful, handsome, or fair.
This name
BelleauA topographic name for someone living near a beautiful stream or water source.
also spelled
Beleau
Belo
Bello
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dionne, Narcisse-Eutrope, Les Canadiens-français : origine des familles émigrées de France, d'Espagne, de Suisse et autres pays, 1914
Jetté, René, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec, 1983
Archives nationales du Québec, Fonds du Conseil souverain, 1663
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
