A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Boissonneault 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)“D'arg. au lion d'azur.”
The Boissonneault arms were recorded in Forez, c. 1663.
Forez was a small upland county in central France, thick with minor gentry holding modest estates. Its families were more numerous than wealthy, and even a small holding was enough for a shield of one's own.
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 Boissonneault 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 Boissonneault originates from the historical province of Forez in central France. Records confirm that members of the family were living in this region by 1663. The name itself is a descriptive surname derived from the French words "boisson," meaning a thicket or shrub, and "neault," which is a regional suffix often used to denote a small or specific place. This suggests that the earliest ancestors likely lived near a prominent patch of brush or a small wooded area. Over time, families in this region often took on names that reflected the local geography of their homes. As the family moved and grew, the name remained a link to their roots in the rural landscapes of the Forez territory.
Old French term for a drink or a beverage.
