Map of France showing where the Compost arms are recorded
The Compost arms were recorded in France, c. 1725.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
More families held coats of arms in Bretagne than anywhere else in France. The land was divided into many small estates rather than a few large ones, so far more households counted as gentry, and each needed a shield of its own to be told apart.
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 XV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XV of France
1715–1774
Reigning in France when the Compost 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 France.
Origin & History of the Compost Family in France
The family name Compost finds its historical roots in the rugged landscape of Bretagne, France, where records confirm the family was well-established by 1725. During this period, the name was likely linked to the agricultural traditions of the region, as the word itself relates to the enrichment of soil for farming. Families living in rural Brittany often took names that reflected their connection to the land or their specific trade within the local village community. By the early eighteenth century, the Compost family was part of a stable social fabric in western France, participating in the daily life and parish activities of their home province. These early generations likely lived as independent farmers or skilled laborers, contributing to the local economy while maintaining deep ties to their ancestral parishes. As they moved through the eighteenth century, the family name became a permanent fixture in local civil and religious registers, documenting their growth and presence in the Breton countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Compostum
Latin term referring to a collection or a mixture of things.
This name
CompostA topographic name for someone who lived near a heap, mound, or cultivated compost pile.
also spelled
Comp
Komp
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Finistère, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Série B, Archives judiciaires de l'Ancien Régime
Delumeau, Jean, Histoire de la Bretagne, 1969
Gautier, Hervé, Les noms de famille de Bretagne, 1998
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mind
