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 à six los. d'or, rangées en fasce, et acc. en p. d'une coupe d'arg.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Grignon family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à six los. d'or, rangées en fasce, et acc. en p. d'une coupe d'arg.”
The Grignon arms were recorded in Lorraine, c. 1546.
Lorraine sat on the border between France and the German lands, and border country bred soldiers. Families here held small estates and served in arms, and a fighting man was exactly the sort who carried a shield of his 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 Grignon finds its historical roots in the Lorraine region of France, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1546. The name is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname, likely derived from the Old French word "grignon," which referred to a crust of bread or a small, wrinkled object. During the sixteenth century, the people of Lorraine lived in a borderland region that was heavily influenced by both French and Germanic cultures. As the family grew, they became part of the local social fabric, often working as skilled laborers or landowners within the rural communities of the duchy. Over time, the name spread from these early settlements in eastern France to other parts of the country, eventually becoming a recognized surname that reflects the linguistic traditions of the late Middle Ages.
Derived from the Old French word for a snarl or grimace.
