A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fayette family of France.
Reg. 9948 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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 fasce d'or.”
ArtoisArtois, c. 1663
Where the Fayette Arms Were Recorded
Artois
Map of France showing where the Fayette arms are recorded
The Fayette arms were recorded in Artois, c. 1663.
Artois lay on the disputed ground between France and the Low Countries and was fought over for centuries. Families there held their land under arms, and a shield was how a fighting household was known.
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 Fayette 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 Artois.
Origin & History of the Fayette Family in France
The family name Fayette traces its roots to the historic province of Artois in northern France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well established within this region. The name itself is topographical, meaning it likely originated from a description of the land where the family first settled. In Old French, the term related to the word for a small beech tree or a forest clearing. This suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely farmers or landowners who lived near a distinct cluster of trees or a specific patch of cleared forest. Over time, the name became a permanent identifier for the family as they moved through the social and political changes of the seventeenth century in France.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
fagus
Latin term for a beech tree.
This name
FayetteA topographic name for someone who lived near a beech tree or forest.
also spelled
Fayett
Fayettes
Fayettte
Fayet
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Pas-de-Calais, État civil et registres paroissiaux de l'Artois, 1663
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Moréri, Louis, Le Grand Dictionnaire historique, ou le mélange curieux de l'histoire sacrée et profane, 1759
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
