A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Coiffé family of France.
hat or capDignity, and the honour of officeJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à un chapeau de gu.”
The Coiffé arms were recorded in Maine, c. 1663.
Maine was quiet farming country in western France, held in small manors by families who stayed for generations. Nothing about it was grand, but steady landholding is exactly what puts a name in the registers.
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.
Reigning in France when the Coiffé arms are first recorded.
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 surname Coiffé originates from the French language and is derived from the word for a head covering or a hairstyle. In medieval France, this name was often used as a descriptive nickname for someone who crafted hats or for a person who was known for their distinct way of grooming their hair. By the middle of the seventeenth century, members of the Coiffé family were part of the wave of French settlers moving to the New World. Historical records confirm that the family was established in the Maine region of North America by 1663. These early settlers were likely part of the colonial efforts to build trade and agriculture in the harsh wilderness of the northern frontier. Life for these pioneers required great resilience as they adapted to a new environment while maintaining the cultural traditions and naming customs they brought from their homeland.
Old French verb meaning to dress or arrange the hair.
