Map of France showing where the Driehaus arms are recorded
The Driehaus arms were recorded in Bruges, c. 1663.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
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.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Driehaus 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 France.
Origin & History of the Driehaus Family in France
The Driehaus family name carries a strong connection to the historical landscape of western France. Records confirm that members of the family were established in the region of Bretagne by 1663. During this period, the name was likely linked to the specific geography or the agricultural lifestyle of the area. Families in seventeenth-century Bretagne often lived in close-knit rural communities where they worked the land or participated in local trade. As the family moved and settled in different parishes, the name became a permanent marker of their heritage. By tracing these early roots, we see a family that was deeply integrated into the social and economic fabric of provincial French life long before the modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Driehaus
Derived from the German words for three and house.
This name
DriehausRefers to a person living near a cluster of three houses or a specific triple-dwelling landmark.
also spelled
Drieau
Drieault
Dreeo
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Archives départementales du Morbihan, Série E, État civil et registres paroissiaux
Gautier, Alain, Histoire de la Bretagne, 2010
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