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 au chev. d'or, acc. en chef de deux étoiles du même et en p. d'un lion d'arg.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Genier family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur au chev. d'or, acc. en chef de deux étoiles du même et en p. d'un lion d'arg.”
The Genier arms were recorded in Forez, c. 1663.
Forez was a small upland county in central France, thick with minor gentry holding modest estates. Its families were more numerous than wealthy, and even a small holding was enough for a shield of one's 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 family name Genier traces its roots to the historic province of Forez in central France, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1663. The name is believed to be a variation of the Old French word "genier," which was often used to describe a person who worked with grain or managed a granary. During the seventeenth century, the region of Forez was a landscape defined by small agricultural villages and thriving trade routes that connected the mountains to the Loire River. Families like the Geniers were typically deeply integrated into these rural communities, often serving as skilled laborers or landholders who helped sustain the local economy. Over time, the name became firmly established in the region, reflecting the family's long-standing connection to the fertile soil and the traditional way of life in the French countryside.
Derived from the Old French word for the juniper plant.
