A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the de Gras family of France.
Reg. 8476 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur à trois chev. d'arg.”
LyonnaisLyonnais, c. 1663
Where the de Gras Arms Were Recorded
Lyonnais
Map of France showing where the de Gras arms are recorded
The de Gras arms were recorded in Lyonnais, c. 1663.
Lyonnais centred on Lyon, one of the great banking and silk towns of France. Money made in the city bought estates in the countryside around it, and those estates brought arms with them.
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 XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the de Gras 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 Lyonnais.
Origin & History of the de Gras Family in France
The family name de Gras finds its historical roots in the lush, rolling landscapes of the Lyonnais region in eastern France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established residents in this area, which served as a major center for trade and culture near the city of Lyon. The name itself likely originated as a descriptive nickname, a common practice in medieval France used to identify individuals based on their physical traits or personal characteristics. As the family grew, they became deeply integrated into the local social fabric, participating in the agricultural and civic life that defined the province during the seventeenth century. Their presence in the Lyonnais region suggests they were part of the hardworking population that helped sustain the local economy through the transition from the Renaissance to the early modern period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Crassus
A Latin term meaning thick, fat, or dense.
This name
de GrasA descriptive nickname for a person of stout or heavy physical build.
also spelled
Grase
Gras
Grass
de Gra
Related arms
Grasvariant spelling
Grassvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Rhône, Registres paroissiaux de la province du Lyonnais, 1663
Jougla de Morenas, Henri, Grand Armorial de France, 1934
Moreri, Louis, Le Grand Dictionnaire Historique, 1759
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