Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à une rivière d'arg., posée en fasce, supp. un bâteau du même. (de gu.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Boudet family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à une rivière d'arg., posée en fasce, supp. un bâteau du même. (de gu.”
The Boudet arms were recorded in Auvergne, c. 1663.
Auvergne was mountain country in the middle of France, poor in money but thick with old families. Estates were small and held for a very long time, and long tenure counted for more than wealth when it came to arms.
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.
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.
The family name Boudet has deep roots in the Auvergne region of central France, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1663. The name itself is likely derived from the Old French word "boud," which was a term used to describe a person with a stout or round physical build. During the seventeenth century, families in this rugged, mountainous area were often tied to the land through agriculture or local trade. Because the Auvergne region was somewhat isolated by its volcanic landscape, families like the Boudets often remained in the same villages for many generations. This stability helped the name persist through the centuries as a recognized part of the local community. By the time official parish registers began to track residents more consistently in the mid-1600s, the Boudet family was already well-established among the rural population of the French highlands.
Derived from the Germanic personal name Bald, meaning bold or brave.
