A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Guillard family of France.
lionCourage, strength and royaltyJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à trois lions de gu.”
The Guillard arms were recorded in Maine, c. 1663.
Maine was quiet farming country in western France, held in small manors by families who stayed for generations. Nothing about it was grand, but steady landholding is exactly what puts a name in the registers.
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 Guillard 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 Guillard originates from the French provinces, where it evolved as a variation of the name Guillaume, which is the French form of William. The name was often used as a patronymic, meaning it identified a person as the son or descendant of someone named Guillaume. By the mid-seventeenth century, members of the family were part of the wave of French settlers who crossed the Atlantic to build new lives in North America. Historical records confirm that individuals bearing the Guillard name were established in the region of Maine by 1663. These early settlers were likely part of the French colonial efforts in Acadia, where they lived alongside indigenous populations and other European pioneers. Their presence in this rugged frontier suggests they were resilient individuals who adapted to the challenging climate and the demands of colonial life during a period of significant territorial transition.
Germanic element meaning resolute protector or determined guardian.
