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 trois têtes et cols de licorne d'arg.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gagnet 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 trois têtes et cols de licorne d'arg.”
The Gagnet arms were recorded in Lorraine, c. 1704.
Lorraine sat on the border between France and the German lands, and border country bred soldiers. Families here held small estates and served in arms, and a fighting man was exactly the sort who carried a shield of his own.
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 Gagnet family name is deeply rooted in the historical region of Lorraine, a territory located in northeastern France that has long served as a crossroads for European culture. By 1704, records confirm that members of the family were well-established within this area, living through a period defined by the transition of the Duchy of Lorraine toward closer ties with the French crown. During the early eighteenth century, the people of this region were primarily engaged in agriculture, forestry, and local craftsmanship, which likely shaped the daily lives of the early Gagnet ancestors. The name itself reflects the linguistic traditions of the borderlands, where local dialects often blended Germanic and Romance influences. As residents of a strategically important province, the family lived through significant political shifts that eventually saw Lorraine become a permanent part of France. These early generations helped build the foundations of the community, leaving behind a legacy tied to the resilient spirit of the people who inhabited the rolling hills and river valleys of the Lorraine countryside.
Derived from the Old French verb gagner meaning to cultivate or farm.
