A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fonteneau family of France.
Reg. 9127 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
heronPatience and quiet watchfulness
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 un héron d'arg., tenant en son bec une truite d'or.”
BretagneBretagne, c. 1663
Where the Fonteneau Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the Fonteneau arms are recorded
The Fonteneau 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.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Fonteneau 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 Bretagne.
Origin & History of the Fonteneau Family in France
The family name Fonteneau is rooted in the French language and serves as a topographical surname, which means it was originally used to identify people based on the landscape where they lived. The name is derived from the word fontaine, referring to a natural spring or a fountain. In the context of the seventeenth century, this suggests that the earliest ancestors likely settled near a prominent water source or a village known for its wells. By 1663, records confirm that the family was well-established in the region of Bretagne. During this period, families in this area were often deeply connected to the local parish system, which served as the primary way of tracking births, marriages, and daily life. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of rural Brittany, living through a time when the region maintained a distinct cultural identity within the broader French kingdom.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
fons
Latin term meaning a spring, fountain, or source of water.
This name
FonteneauA topographic name for someone who lived near a spring or a fountain.
also spelled
Fontenot
Fontenault
Fontenaux
Fonteno
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Archives Départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
heronPatience and quiet watchfulness
heronPatience and quiet watchfulness
