A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gourdin family of France.
Reg. 1087 · French, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'azur au chev. d'arg., acc. de trois calebasses d'or.”
NivernaisNivernais, c. 1663
Where the Gourdin Arms Were Recorded
Nivernais
Map of France showing where the Gourdin arms are recorded
The Gourdin arms were recorded in Nivernais, c. 1663.
Nivernais was central French country of woods, ironworks and river trade. Its landed families were modest but numerous, and each holding brought its own claim to a coat of arms.
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 Gourdin 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 Nivernais.
Origin & History of the Gourdin Family in France
The Gourdin family name has deep roots in the Nivernais region of central France, where records confirm their presence as early as 1663. The name itself is thought to be a variation of the Old French word "gourd," which was often used to describe someone who was considered sluggish or heavy, though it may have also served as a nickname for a person with a round face or a stout build. During the seventeenth century, families in this part of France were often tied to the land through agriculture or local trades. As the family established themselves in the Nivernais area, they became part of the local social fabric that defined rural French life before the industrial era. Over time, the name spread from these provincial origins, reflecting the movement and growth of families across the French countryside during the early modern period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gord
A Germanic personal name derived from the element meaning large or stout.
This name
GourdinA diminutive form referring to a person of stout or large physical stature.
also spelled
Gourdo
Gourdan
Gourdin
Goordon
Gordon
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de la Nièvre, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Challe, Ambroise, Histoire de l'Auxerrois, 1878
Moréri, Louis, Le Grand Dictionnaire historique, 1759
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