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. au chev. de gu., acc. en chef de trois étoiles rangées d'azur et en p. d'un arbre de sin.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Delorme family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. au chev. de gu., acc. en chef de trois étoiles rangées d'azur et en p. d'un arbre de sin.”
The Delorme arms were recorded in Forez, c. 1663.
Forez was a small upland county in central France, thick with minor gentry holding modest estates. Its families were more numerous than wealthy, and even a small holding was enough for a shield of one's own.
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 surname Delorme is a classic example of a topographic name, which means it was originally used to identify people based on the landscape where they lived. In French, the name translates to "of the elm," suggesting that the earliest ancestors bearing this title likely resided near a prominent elm tree or a small grove of these trees. By the year 1663, records confirm that families carrying this name were well-established in the Forez region of central France. During this period, the Forez area was a rural landscape defined by its rolling hills and agricultural traditions. Families like the Delormes were typically deeply connected to the land, often working as farmers or local tradespeople who helped shape the identity of their village communities. Over time, the name became a permanent marker of their family history, passed down through generations as they moved from the countryside into the developing towns of the region.
Latin term for the elm tree.
