A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cazenave family of France.
Reg. 7917 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à deux chev. d'azur.”
GascogneGascogne, c. 1663
Where the Cazenave Arms Were Recorded
Gascogne
Map of France showing where the Cazenave arms are recorded
The Cazenave arms were recorded in Gascogne, c. 1663.
Gascogne was south-western country of small estates and stubborn independence, long fought over by France and England. Its gentry were numerous and poor, and even a small holding was enough for a shield of one's own.
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 Cazenave 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 Gascogne.
Origin & History of the Cazenave Family in France
The surname Cazenave originates from the Gascony region of southwestern France. The name is derived from the Occitan words "casa," meaning house, and "nava," meaning new. Historically, this indicates that the first people to carry the name were likely identified as the residents of a newly built home or a recently established settlement. By the year 1663, records confirm that the family was well-established within the local communities of Gascogne. During this period, the family lived in a landscape defined by small rural parishes and strong regional traditions. As the name spread throughout the area, it became a common way to distinguish families based on their specific land or property. This naming pattern reflects the deep connection between the people of Gascony and their ancestral homes during the seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Casa Nova
Latin for new house or new home.
This name
CazenaveA topographic name for someone who lived in a newly built house.
also spelled
Cazenav
Kaznav
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dauzat, Albert. Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
Nègre, Ernest. Toponymie générale de la France, 1990
Archives Départementales des Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
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