A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bourdeau family of France.
Reg. 4131 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
riverThe bounds of a land, and life carried through it
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à un château d'arg., flanqué de quatre tours rondes, pavillonnées et girouettées du même, bâti sur une eau d'arg., ondée de sa.; ledit château sommé d'une espèce de clocher garni d'une cloche d'arg., surm. d'un lion léopardé d'or.”
LimousinLimousin, c. 1663
Where the Bourdeau Arms Were Recorded
Limousin
Map of France showing where the Bourdeau arms are recorded
The Bourdeau arms were recorded in Limousin, c. 1663.
Limousin was upland farming country in central France, poor in money but full of old families. Estates were small and held for a very long time, and long tenure counted for more than wealth when arms were recorded.
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 Bourdeau 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 Limousin.
Origin & History of the Bourdeau Family in France
The family name Bourdeau originates from the historic Limousin region of central France, where the family was firmly established by the year 1663. The name itself is derived from the Old French word "bourde," which historically referred to a small farm or a modest dwelling. This suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely independent farmers or rural landowners who lived and worked on the fertile lands of the Limousin countryside. Over many generations, the family became deeply rooted in the local community, contributing to the agricultural and social development of their parishes. By the mid-seventeenth century, the Bourdeau name was already well-recognized in regional records, marking the family as a stable and enduring presence in the rural landscape of provincial France.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Bourd
Derived from the Old French word for a small farm or hut.
This name
BourdeauA topographic name for someone who lived on or managed a small farmstead.
also spelled
Bourdeaux
Bourdeaut
Bourdeaus
Burdo
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de la Haute-Vienne, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Chéruel, Adolphe, Dictionnaire historique des institutions, mœurs et coutumes de la France, 1855
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
riverThe bounds of a land, and life carried through it
towerGrandeur and solidity, and a stronghold defended
riverThe bounds of a land, and life carried through it
