Map of France showing where the Hermit arms are recorded
The Hermit arms were recorded in France, c. 1663.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
More families held coats of arms in Bretagne than anywhere else in France. The land was divided into many small estates rather than a few large ones, so far more households counted as gentry, and each needed a shield of its own to be told apart.
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 Hermit 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 France.
Origin & History of the Hermit Family in France
The family name Hermit traces its roots back to the rugged landscapes of Bretagne, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1663. During this period, the name likely functioned as a descriptive nickname, often given to individuals who lived in seclusion or practiced a solitary lifestyle away from the bustling village centers. In the context of seventeenth-century France, such a name might have identified a person who served as a caretaker for a rural chapel or one who lived near a remote religious retreat. As these families settled into the local communities of the region, the name transitioned from a simple descriptor of a person's living habits into a formal hereditary surname. This evolution reflects the way many families in western France adopted names based on their surroundings, their occupations, or their unique personal traits during the transition to standardized record-keeping.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
eremita
A person living in solitude for religious reasons.
This name
HermitAn occupational or descriptive surname for someone who lived as a recluse or hermit.
also spelled
Hermitee
Hermit
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
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fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
