A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fret family of France.
Reg. 3215 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'or à deux lions léopardés de sa., cour. d'arg., l'un sur l'autre.”
PoitouPoitou, c. 1663
Where the Fret Arms Were Recorded
Poitou
Map of France showing where the Fret arms are recorded
The Fret arms were recorded in Poitou, c. 1663.
Poitou was western French farming country, divided among a large number of small landed families. Its gentry were numerous and modest, and even a small estate was enough to justify a shield.
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 Fret 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 Poitou.
Origin & History of the Fret Family in France
The family name Fret has deep roots in the historical province of Poitou, France, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1663. During the seventeenth century, Poitou was a region defined by its agricultural landscape and the complex social shifts following the French Wars of Religion. Families like the Frets often lived in rural parishes where they were closely tied to the land and the local community structure. The name itself likely originated as a descriptive term or a nickname, which was a common way for families to be identified before modern record-keeping became standardized. As the family established their presence in the region, they became part of the local fabric of Poitou, participating in the daily life and traditions that shaped this part of western France during the reign of King Louis XIV.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
fretum
Latin term meaning a strait, channel, or narrow passage of water.
This name
FretA topographic name for someone who lived near a narrow waterway or a strait.
also spelled
Frett
Fret
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de la Vienne, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Beauchet-Filleau, Henri, Dictionnaire historique et généalogique des familles du Poitou, 1891
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
