A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bonfils family of France.
Reg. 7266 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à trois bes. d'or.”
AnjouAnjou, c. 1663
Where the Bonfils Arms Were Recorded
Anjou
Map of France showing where the Bonfils arms are recorded
The Bonfils arms were recorded in Anjou, c. 1663.
Anjou was rich valley country along the Loire, with a dense scatter of small manors. Its gentry were numerous rather than wealthy, and even a modest holding was enough to justify 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.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Bonfils 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 Anjou.
Origin & History of the Bonfils Family in France
The family name Bonfils carries a meaning rooted in the medieval French phrase for a good son. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in the historical province of Anjou. During this period, families in the Loire Valley often lived in close-knit agricultural communities where they worked the land or served in local administrative roles. The name appears in regional tax rolls and parish registers from the seventeenth century, which suggests that the Bonfils family were respected members of the local society. As the family grew, they became deeply connected to the social fabric of the Anjou region, maintaining their presence there through generations of farmers, merchants, and tradespeople who helped shape the rural culture of western France.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bonus filius
Latin phrase meaning good son.
This name
BonfilsA descriptive surname denoting a person considered to be a good or virtuous son.
also spelled
Bonfilz
Bonfee
Bonfil
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de Maine-et-Loire, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Beauchet-Filleau, Henri, Dictionnaire historique et généalogique des familles du Poitou, 1891
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
