A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Blouin family of France.
lionCourage, strength and royaltyJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De gu. au lion d'or, cour. du même.”
The Blouin arms were recorded in Poitou, c. 1663.
Poitou was western French farming country, divided among a large number of small landed families. Its gentry were numerous and modest, and even a small estate was enough to justify a shield.
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 Blouin 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 surname Blouin originates from the historic Poitou region of west-central France. Linguists believe the name is derived from the Old French word "blouin," which was a descriptive term used to identify someone with fair or blond hair. By the mid-17th century, families bearing this name were well-established in the rural landscapes of Poitou. In 1663, records confirm that members of the Blouin family were preparing to depart from this region to seek new opportunities in the French colonies of North America. These early settlers brought their name across the Atlantic, where it became a foundational part of the colonial population. The family name remains a testament to the migration patterns of French citizens who moved from their ancestral homes in Poitou to build new lives in the New World.
A Germanic term referring to a light or fair hair color.
