A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Claveau family of France.
Reg. 4220 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur au chev. d'or.”
PoitouPoitou, c. 1663
Where the Claveau Arms Were Recorded
Poitou
Map of France showing where the Claveau arms are recorded
The Claveau arms were recorded in Poitou, c. 1663.
Poitou was western French farming country, divided among a large number of small landed families. Its gentry were numerous and modest, and even a small estate was enough to justify a shield.
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 Claveau 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 Poitou.
Origin & History of the Claveau Family in France
The family name Claveau finds its historical roots in the western regions of France, specifically within the province of Poitou. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in this area, living as part of a society deeply connected to the land and local traditions. The name itself is thought to be derived from the Old French word "clave," which referred to a key or a bolt, suggesting that the original bearers of the name may have been associated with a specific trade, such as a locksmith, or perhaps lived near a location marked by a prominent gate or passage. As the seventeenth century progressed, the Claveau family became part of the broader movement of French settlers who helped shape the cultural and social landscape of their home province before many eventually sought new opportunities across the Atlantic.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Clavis
Latin term meaning a key or a locking mechanism.
This name
ClaveauA topographic name for someone living near a key-shaped piece of land or a gatekeeper.
also spelled
Clavo
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Jetté, René, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec, 1983
Library and Archives Canada, Fonds du ministère des Colonies, Série G1, Registres de l'état civil, 1663
Tanguay, Cyprien, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours, 1871
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