A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Gravelle family of France.
owlWisdom and vigilance by nightJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à un hibou d'azur.”
The Gravelle arms were recorded in Franche-Comte, c. 1663.
Franche-Comte sat between France and the Empire and changed hands more than once. Border families held their land under arms and expected to defend it, so a shield was a practical thing rather than an ornament.
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.
Reigning in France when the Gravelle arms are first recorded.
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 surname Gravelle is rooted in the French language and typically describes a person who lived near a gravelly or stony area. By 1663, records confirm that members of the Gravelle family were firmly established in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France. This area, known for its rugged landscape and proximity to the Jura Mountains, likely influenced the family’s early identity and daily life. During the seventeenth century, families in this province often worked in agriculture or forestry, adapting to the rocky soil that gave the name its meaning. As the family grew, some members eventually migrated from these provincial roots to other parts of France and eventually to North America, carrying their history and name across the Atlantic to become part of the early colonial population.
A Latin term referring to gravel, sand, or a stony beach.
