A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gaté family of France.
Reg. 6092 · French, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Fascé d'arg. et d'azur.”
MaineMaine, c. 1663
Where the Gaté Arms Were Recorded
Maine
Map of France showing where the Gaté arms are recorded
The Gaté arms were recorded in Maine, c. 1663.
Maine was quiet farming country in western France, held in small manors by families who stayed for generations. Nothing about it was grand, but steady landholding is exactly what puts a name in the registers.
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 Gaté 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 Maine.
Origin & History of the Gaté Family in France
The surname Gaté originates from the historical province of Maine in northwestern France. By 1663, records confirm that members of the Gaté family were well-established in this region, living as part of a rural society deeply connected to the land. The name itself is thought to be a topographic surname, which was a common way for families to identify themselves based on their surroundings. In Old French, the term gate often referred to a person who lived near a gate or a narrow passage, suggesting that the family’s original ancestors likely resided near the entrance of a fortified town or a specific gateway on a large estate. As these families moved through the seventeenth century, they maintained their presence in the Maine countryside, contributing to the local agricultural and social fabric of the era. This deep connection to their home region helped the name persist through generations as a marker of their specific ancestral origins.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gater
Old French verb meaning to watch, guard, or keep.
This name
GatéA topographic name for someone who lived near a gate or a watchman.
also spelled
Gatte
Gatay
Gatt
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 de la Sarthe, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil de la province du Maine, 1663
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
