A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Frett family of France.
Reg. 0506 · 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 Frett Arms Were Recorded
Poitou
Map of France showing where the Frett arms are recorded
The Frett 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 Frett 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 Frett Family in France
The family name Frett traces its roots back to the historic province of Poitou in western France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in this region, which was known for its agricultural wealth and complex social structure. During the seventeenth century, families in Poitou often lived in rural communities centered around local parish churches. Because the name appears in these early regional documents, it is likely that the ancestors of the Frett family were involved in the traditional trades or farming practices common to the French countryside at that time. As the family grew, they remained part of the fabric of Poitou society, contributing to the local economy and community life before many families from the region eventually sought new opportunities across the Atlantic.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
fret
Old French term referring to a decorative interlaced pattern or network.
This name
FrettAn occupational name for a maker of decorative metalwork or a person living near a fortified gate.
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 de la commune de Poitiers, 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
