A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the European family of France.
Reg. 0197 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
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 la bande ondée d'arg. C.: un chapeau de tournoi d'azur, retr. d'arg., sommé de deux faucilles adossées d'arg., emm. d'or, le tranchant dentelé.”
Francec. 1663
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Map of France showing where the European arms are recorded
The European arms were recorded in France, 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 European 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 European Family in France
The family name European, while rare, finds its earliest documented roots in the region of Bretagne, France, during the mid-seventeenth century. Historical records confirm that members of this family were established in the area by 1663. In this period, surnames in rural France were often influenced by a person's geographic origin, occupation, or a notable personal trait. Because the name itself evokes a broad continental identity, it likely originated as a descriptive nickname used to distinguish a specific individual or household from their local neighbors. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the Breton countryside, living through a time when the region maintained a distinct cultural and linguistic identity separate from the rest of the French kingdom. This early presence in Bretagne suggests that the family was well-integrated into the local community life of the seventeenth century.
European Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Europaeus
Latin term derived from Greek meaning wide or broad gazing.
This name
EuropeanA locative surname denoting someone who originated from the European continent.
also spelled
Erpenne
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, 1663
Galliot, Marcel, Histoire de la Bretagne et des Bretons, 1985
Le Moyne de La Borderie, Arthur, Histoire de Bretagne, 1896
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
