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'arg. à un écusson d'azur en abîme, acc. de huit merlettes du même, rangées en orle.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cecire family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à un écusson d'azur en abîme, acc. de huit merlettes du même, rangées en orle.”
The Cecire 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.
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 Cecire traces its roots back to the historic region of Normandy in northern France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well established within this coastal province. During the seventeenth century, Normandy was a hub of agricultural activity and maritime trade, which likely shaped the daily lives of the early Cecire ancestors. Many families in this area lived in small rural parishes where they worked the land or participated in local crafts. As the name became more distinct, it began to appear in official civil and religious registers that documented births, marriages, and deaths. These early records provide a clear link to the family’s French heritage and their long-standing presence in the region before many members eventually moved to other parts of the world.
A Latin term meaning blind or lacking sight.
