A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Herbo family of France.
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commanderJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De sin. à la bande denchée d'or.”
The Herbo arms were recorded in Artois, c. 1663.
Artois lay on the disputed ground between France and the Low Countries and was fought over for centuries. Families there held their land under arms, and a shield was how a fighting household was known.
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 Herbo 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 family name Herbo traces its roots to the historic province of Artois in northern France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well established within this region. During the seventeenth century, Artois was a landscape defined by shifting borders and frequent military conflicts between the French crown and the Spanish Netherlands. Families living in this area were often tied to the land through agriculture or local trade, navigating the challenges of a region that served as a frequent battlefield for European powers. The name itself likely evolved from local linguistic traditions common to the Picardy and Artois dialects, reflecting the deep cultural heritage of the people who lived in these northern territories. Over generations, the Herbo family became part of the social fabric of this resilient community, surviving the economic and political pressures of the early modern period.
Derived from Germanic elements meaning army and bright or famous.
