A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bourgois family of France.
Reg. 6152 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
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)
“De sa. au lion d'arg., tenant une lance de tournoi du même, en pal.”
FlandreFlandre, c. 1663
Where the Bourgois Arms Were Recorded
Flandre
Map of France showing where the Bourgois arms are recorded
The Bourgois arms were recorded in Flandre, c. 1663.
Flandre grew rich on cloth, and its towns were among the busiest in Europe. Merchant families bought land with their profits and took arms to go with it, so trade put as many names in the registers here as land did.
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 Bourgois 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 Flandre.
Origin & History of the Bourgois Family in France
The family name Bourgois originates from the Middle French word for a town dweller or a citizen of a borough. During the medieval period, this term was used to distinguish people who lived within the protected walls of a city from those who worked in the surrounding countryside. By the time the family was documented in the region of Flandre in 1663, the name had become a common way to identify individuals who held specific rights and responsibilities within their urban community. These early ancestors likely lived in a bustling trade center where they participated in the local economy as merchants or skilled craftsmen. Because Flandre was a major hub for international commerce during the seventeenth century, the family name reflects a long history of social mobility and active involvement in the development of European towns.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
burg
A fortified settlement or castle.
This name
BourgoisA person who lived in a town or held the status of a citizen.
also spelled
Bourgoys
Boorzhwa
Burgois
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 du Nord, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
