A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bertier family of France.
fireZeal and purificationJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à trois flammes de gu.”
The Bertier arms were recorded in Dauphine, c. 1663.
Dauphine lay in the mountains of south-eastern France, a country of small estates and scattered valleys. Its gentry were many and mostly modest, and even a small landholding was enough to justify arms.
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.
Reigning in France when the Bertier arms are first recorded.
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.
The family name Bertier traces its roots to the southeastern region of France known as the Dauphiné. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established residents within this mountainous territory. The name itself is thought to be a variation of the ancient Germanic name Berht, which translates to bright or famous. During the seventeenth century, families in this region often lived in close-knit rural communities where they worked as landowners or local officials. Because the Dauphiné served as a vital crossroads between the Alps and the Rhône Valley, the Bertier family likely benefited from the active trade and social movement that defined the area during this period. Over time, the family expanded their influence through local administration and agriculture, solidifying their place in the regional history of southeastern France.
A Germanic element meaning bright, famous, or illustrious.
