A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fite family of France.
branchPeace, and new growthJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à une branche de myrte de sin., posée en pal.”
The Fite arms were recorded in Bretagne, c. 1663.
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.
Reigning in France when the Fite arms are first recorded.
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 history of the Fite family name is rooted in the coastal region of Bretagne, France, where records confirm the family’s presence as early as 1663. During this period, the name was likely associated with families living in rural parishes, where individuals were often identified by their trade or their specific location within a village. Many families in this region were deeply connected to the land and the local maritime culture, which shaped their daily lives and social standing. As the family grew, members eventually moved beyond these original settlements, carrying the name into new territories and adapting to the changing political landscape of seventeenth-century France. This early period established the foundation for the family’s identity, reflecting the resilience and traditions of the people living in the western provinces of the country.
Derived from the Old French word for a fight or battle.
