A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cottin family of France.
columnFortitude and constancyJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à deux colonnes d'or.”
The Cottin arms were recorded in Bourgogne, c. 1663.
Bourgogne was one of the richest parts of France, built on wine, wool and the roads that carried both. Wealth of that kind bought land, and land brought arms, so the region filled with armed families earlier than most of the country.
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 Cottin 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 family name Cottin has deep roots in the historical region of Bourgogne, France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established residents of this area. The name itself is thought to be derived from the Old French word "cote," which originally referred to a type of tunic or a small cottage. This suggests that the earliest ancestors to carry the name were likely identified by their trade as tailors or by the modest homes they occupied in rural villages. As the family grew, they became part of the local social fabric in eastern France, living through the agricultural traditions and regional shifts that defined life in the seventeenth century. Their presence in Bourgogne during this era highlights a long-standing connection to the land and the distinct culture of the French provinces.
A medieval term for a tunic or a coat.
