A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Berthelot family of France.
Reg. 6821 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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'or à trois aigles ép. d'azur, bq. et m. de gu.”
BretagneBretagne, c. 1663
Where the Berthelot Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the Berthelot arms are recorded
The Berthelot arms were recorded in Bretagne, c. 1663.
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 Berthelot 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 Bretagne.
Origin & History of the Berthelot Family in France
The Berthelot family name traces its roots to the ancient regions of France, where it emerged as a patronymic surname derived from the personal name Berthelot, a diminutive form of Barthélemy. By the mid-seventeenth century, the family established a notable presence in the province of Bretagne. Records from 1663 confirm that members of the family were living in this coastal region, which was then a hub for maritime trade and agricultural development. During this era, families with this name were often integrated into the local social fabric as skilled tradespeople or landholders. As the family grew, they contributed to the unique cultural identity of the Breton people, maintaining their ties to the land and their local communities through generations of social and economic change.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Berht
A Germanic element meaning bright, famous, or illustrious.
This name
BerthelotA diminutive form of names containing the bright element, signifying a famous or brilliant ruler.
also spelled
Berthelott
Berthelau
Berthelod
Bertelo
Related arms
Berthelonvariant 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
Archives départementales du Morbihan, Série E, État civil et registres paroissiaux
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eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
