A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bonaventure family of France.
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's crossJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur au saut. d'herm.”
The Bonaventure arms were recorded in France, c. 1725.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
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.
Reigning in France when the Bonaventure 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 Bonaventure originates from the Latin term *bonaventura*, which translates to good fortune or good luck. During the medieval period, this name was often given as a personal name to children to express a wish for their future prosperity and spiritual well-being. By the early eighteenth century, the family had established a documented presence in the region of Bretagne, France. In this coastal area, families often lived in small agricultural or maritime communities where names were passed down through generations to maintain local identity. While the name began as a hopeful expression, it eventually became a fixed family surname as record-keeping practices became more formal across French parishes. The presence of the Bonaventure family in Bretagne by 1725 suggests they were part of the stable, long-term population that helped shape the social and cultural history of the province during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.
Good fortune or good luck derived from Latin roots.
