Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à la fasce d'azur, ch. d'une étoile d'or et acc. de trois merlettes de sa.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the de Paris family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à la fasce d'azur, ch. d'une étoile d'or et acc. de trois merlettes de sa.”
The de Paris arms were recorded in Ile-de-France, c. 1663.
Ile-de-France is the country around Paris, and proximity to the court mattered. Families who served the crown were rewarded with land near it, and land near the capital carried arms almost as a matter of course.
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.
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 de Paris originated as a locative surname, which was a common way for people in medieval France to identify themselves based on their place of origin. By the mid-seventeenth century, records confirm that members of the family were established within the Île-de-France region. During this period, the area served as the political and cultural heart of the kingdom, making it a central hub for families seeking to build their lives near the capital. Because the name literally translates to "of Paris," it suggests that the earliest ancestors likely migrated from the city or its immediate surroundings to settle in the fertile lands of the surrounding province. These early family members were part of a society deeply rooted in the traditions of the French countryside, where they contributed to the local economy and community life long before the name became more widely dispersed across the country.
A Celtic tribe that inhabited the region around the Seine river.
