A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bonnin family of France.
Reg. 1713 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à trois têtes d'ours, emmuselées et enchaînées de sa.”
PoitouPoitou, c. 1663
Where the Bonnin Arms Were Recorded
Poitou
Map of France showing where the Bonnin arms are recorded
The Bonnin 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.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Bonnin 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 Poitou.
Origin & History of the Bonnin Family in France
The surname Bonnin has deep roots in the historical province of Poitou, France, where members of the family were well-established by the mid-seventeenth century. The name itself is believed to be a diminutive form of the Old French word bon, which translates to good. During the 1600s, families in this region were often tied to the land through agriculture or local trades, and the name likely served as a descriptor for a person with a kind or reliable temperament. As the family grew in Poitou, they became part of the social fabric of western France, eventually spreading across the country and beyond as individuals sought new opportunities. By 1663, the Bonnin name was already a recognized part of the local community, reflecting a long history of settlement in the rolling landscapes of the Poitou region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bon
Derived from the Latin word bonus meaning good.
This name
BonninA diminutive form indicating a good or virtuous person.
also spelled
Bonin
Bonnine
Related arms
Boninvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dauzat, Albert. Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France. 1951
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse. Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille. 1991
Archives départementales de la Vienne, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
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bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
