Map of France showing where the Bison arms are recorded
The Bison 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 Bison 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 Bison Family in France
The history of the Bison family name is deeply rooted in the coastal region of Normandy, France, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1663. In the French language, the word bison refers to the large wild ox, and it is likely that the name originated as a descriptive nickname for an ancestor known for their physical strength or a stubborn personality. During the seventeenth century, many families in Normandy were involved in agriculture or maritime trades, and names often evolved from common observations of the natural world. As these early family members lived through the transition from the feudal era to a more centralized French state, they helped establish a lineage that would eventually spread beyond the borders of their home province. By settling in this specific region, the family became part of the long tradition of Norman migration that shaped the cultural and social landscape of seventeenth-century France.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
bisontem
Latin term referring to a wild ox or buffalo.
This name
BisonA topographic or occupational name for someone who lived near or hunted wild oxen.
also spelled
Bysson
Bison
Bissonne
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de la Seine-Maritime, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
