A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Coulombe family of France.
lionCourage, strength and royaltyJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur au lion d'or.”
The Coulombe arms were recorded in Bretagne, c. 1663.
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.
Reigning in France when the Coulombe 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 Coulombe traces its roots to the historic region of Bretagne in northwestern France. By the mid-seventeenth century, families bearing this name were well-established in the area, living in a landscape defined by rugged coastlines and deep cultural traditions. In 1663, records confirm that members of the Coulombe family were active participants in the life of this province. The name itself is thought to be derived from the French word for dove, which often served as a nickname for a person with a gentle or peaceful nature. As the seventeenth century progressed, some members of these families chose to leave their ancestral homes in Bretagne to seek new opportunities in the French colonies of North America. This migration helped spread the name across the Atlantic, where it became a lasting part of the history of New France.
Latin word for a dove or pigeon.
