A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ferko family of France.
Reg. 8427 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cockCourage, vigilance and readiness for battle
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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)
“De gu. à un coq d'or, tenant en son bec un fer-à-cheval du même.”
MaineMaine, c. 1663
Where the Ferko Arms Were Recorded
Maine
Map of France showing where the Ferko arms are recorded
The Ferko arms were recorded in Maine, c. 1663.
Maine was quiet farming country in western France, held in small manors by families who stayed for generations. Nothing about it was grand, but steady landholding is exactly what puts a name in the registers.
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 Ferko 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 Maine.
Origin & History of the Ferko Family in France
The family name Ferko has roots that trace back to the rugged landscapes of Central Europe, where it functioned as a diminutive form of the name Ferdinand or a descriptive term for a person with iron-like strength. By the mid-seventeenth century, members of the family had crossed the Atlantic to seek new opportunities in the American colonies. Historical records confirm that the family was established in Maine by 1663, placing them among the early settlers who navigated the harsh winters and dense forests of the northern frontier. These pioneers were likely involved in the essential trades of the era, such as timber harvesting, fishing, or small-scale farming, which were vital for survival in the coastal settlements of New England. Their presence in Maine so early in the colonial period suggests that the family was part of the initial wave of migration that helped shape the development of the region.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Franciscus
Latin name meaning a person from the land of the Franks.
This name
FerkoA diminutive form of the name Francis, often signifying a free man.
also spelled
Ferco
Fercoc
Ferko
Fercock
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Banks, Charles Edward, History of York, Maine, 1931
Maine State Archives, Province and Court Records of Maine, 1663
Noyes, Sybil, Libby, Charles Thornton, and Davis, Walter Goodwin, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, 1928
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cockCourage, vigilance and readiness for battle
cockCourage, vigilance and readiness for battle
