A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bonneville family of France.
Reg. 9493 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à deux lions léopardés de gu., l'un sur l'autre.”
NormandieNormandie, c. 1663
Where the Bonneville Arms Were Recorded
Normandie
Map of France showing where the Bonneville arms are recorded
The Bonneville 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 Bonneville 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 Bonneville Family in France
The surname Bonneville originates from the historic region of Normandy in northern France. The name itself is descriptive and translates to good town or good estate, which suggests that the earliest families likely held land or managed a prosperous settlement. By 1663, records confirm that members of the Bonneville family were well-established in this coastal province. During this period, Normandy was a hub of agricultural activity and maritime trade, and families with this name were often integrated into the local rural economy. As the seventeenth century progressed, some individuals from these Norman roots began to look toward the French colonies in North America, carrying their family name across the Atlantic to help build new communities in the New World.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bonus and Villa
Latin for good or virtuous and a country house or farmstead.
This name
BonnevilleRefers to a person who lived at or near a good or pleasant estate.
also spelled
Bonnevilie
Bonevil
Related arms
Bonnevilievariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Albert Dauzat, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
Archives départementales de la Seine-Maritime, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
