A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Garis family of France.
Reg. 5073 · French, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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Colours
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
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 trois chev. de gu. C.: un léopard d'or.”
FranceGuernsey, c. 1725
Where the Garis Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the Garis arms are recorded
The Garis arms were recorded in Guernsey, c. 1725.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
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 XV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XV of France
1715–1774
Reigning in France when the Garis 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 France.
Origin & History of the Garis Family in France
The history of the Garis family name is deeply rooted in the coastal region of Bretagne, France, where records confirm the presence of family members by the year 1725. The name likely evolved as a topographic or locative surname, which was a common practice in rural France during the eighteenth century. Families often adopted names based on the specific landscape features of their home or the local dialect used in their parish. Living in Bretagne, a region known for its strong cultural identity and distinct linguistic traditions, the early Garis family would have been part of a close-knit agricultural or maritime community. As the family moved and grew throughout the eighteenth century, the name served as a vital link to their ancestral origins in the western provinces of France. This connection to the land and their local parish records helped define their social standing and community identity during a time of significant transition in French history.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Garin
Derived from the Germanic element warin meaning guard or protect.
This name
GarisA patronymic form indicating a descendant of someone named Garin.
also spelled
Gari
Gariss
Garix
Related arms
Garivariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Finistère, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
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