Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à l'aigle d'or; au chef de gu., ch. de deux têtes de lion du sec.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fleurdelis family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à l'aigle d'or; au chef de gu., ch. de deux têtes de lion du sec.”
The Fleurdelis arms were recorded in Lyonnais, c. 1663.
Lyonnais centred on Lyon, one of the great banking and silk towns of France. Money made in the city bought estates in the countryside around it, and those estates brought arms with them.
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.
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 family name Fleurdelis traces its roots to the historic Lyonnais region of France, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1663. During the seventeenth century, this area was a vibrant center for trade and silk production, which likely influenced the daily lives and occupations of the early family members. The name itself reflects a deep connection to the cultural and linguistic traditions of the French countryside, where surnames often evolved from local landmarks, botanical references, or specific regional descriptors. Families living in the Lyonnais at this time were often deeply integrated into the local parish systems, which served as the primary method for tracking births, marriages, and deaths. By settling in this fertile region near the Rhône River, the early Fleurdelis family became part of a long-standing tradition of rural craftsmanship and community development that defined the social structure of pre-revolutionary France.
Latin terms for flower and lily.
