A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gersh family of France.
Reg. 0627 · French, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à deux léopards d'or, l'un sur l'autre.”
BretagneBretagne, c. 1263
Where the Gersh Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the Gersh arms are recorded
The Gersh arms were recorded in Bretagne, c. 1263.
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 IX of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis IX of France
1226–1270
Reigning in France when the Gersh 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 Bretagne.
Origin & History of the Gersh Family in France
The family name Gersh finds its earliest documented roots in the region of Bretagne during the year 1263. At this time, the name was closely tied to the shifting social structures of medieval France, where families often identified themselves through their local landholdings or specific trade roles within the feudal system. As the name moved through the centuries, it evolved alongside the linguistic changes of the Breton and French languages. Early members of the family were likely involved in the agricultural or administrative life of the province, serving as witnesses or participants in the local courts that governed the region. By maintaining a presence in Bretagne, the family became part of a long tradition of regional history that saw the name persist through generations of social and political transformation.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gershom
A Hebrew term meaning a stranger or exile there.
This name
GershAn Ashkenazi Jewish surname derived from the biblical name Gershom, often associated with diaspora origins.
also spelled
Guerches
La Guerche
Guerchey
Gersh
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Fonds de la seigneurie de Bretagne (1263)
Poterie, Michel, Histoire de la Bretagne et des Bretons, 1990
Galloudec, Jean, Les familles anciennes de la province de Bretagne, 1975
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
