A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Boucard family of France.
Reg. 6766 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
goats headWisdom, and one who wins by policy rather than force
Colours
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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 sin. à trois têtes de bouc d'or.”
NormandieNormandie, c. 1663
Where the Boucard Arms Were Recorded
Normandie
Map of France showing where the Boucard arms are recorded
The Boucard 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 Boucard 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 Boucard Family in France
The Boucard family name has deep roots in the historical region of Normandy, France, where members of the lineage were firmly established by the year 1663. The name is believed to originate from the Old French word "bouc," which means goat, suggesting that the earliest ancestors may have been goat herders or lived in a location associated with the animals. During the seventeenth century, Normandy was a hub of agricultural activity and maritime trade, providing a stable environment for families to grow and settle into specific parishes. As the family expanded throughout the region, they became part of the local social fabric, often working as skilled laborers or farmers who contributed to the development of the rural landscape. By documenting their presence in parish registers during this era, the Boucard family secured their place in the long history of northern France, marking the beginning of a legacy that would eventually spread far beyond their original Norman home.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bouc
Old French term for a male goat or billy goat.
This name
BoucardA surname originally denoting a person who herded goats or possessed goat-like traits.
also spelled
Boucart
Bookar
Related arms
Boucartvariant 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 Seine-Maritime, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
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goats headWisdom, and one who wins by policy rather than force
goats headWisdom, and one who wins by policy rather than force
