Map of France showing where the Bordo arms are recorded
The Bordo arms were recorded in France, c. 1663.
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.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Bordo 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 France.
Origin & History of the Bordo Family in France
The surname Bordo finds its historical roots in the rugged coastal region of Bretagne, France, where family members were firmly established by the year 1663. During the seventeenth century, this area was a center of maritime trade and agricultural development, which likely influenced the daily lives and occupations of early ancestors. The name itself is thought to be topographical, often used to describe people who lived near the edge of a settlement or along a riverbank. As the family grew, they became part of the distinct cultural fabric of the Breton people, maintaining their heritage through the turbulent shifts in French history. By the mid-1600s, families like the Bordo were already deeply integrated into the local parish systems, which served as the primary method for recording births, marriages, and deaths in rural France.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bord
Old French term referring to a small farm or hut.
This name
BordoA habitational name for someone who lived on or worked a small farmstead.
also spelled
Bordaux
Bordo
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Morvan, Françoise, La douce vie des fées des houles, 2005
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
millrind / fer de molineThe mill's iron, and the grinding of grain
millrind / fer de molineThe mill's iron, and the grinding of grain
