Map of France showing where the Houseman arms are recorded
The Houseman arms were recorded in Lorraine, c. 1663.
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.
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 Houseman 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 Lorraine.
Origin & History of the Houseman Family in France
The surname Houseman finds its roots in the Germanic regions of Europe, where it functioned as a descriptive occupational name. The name is derived from the Middle High German term *husman*, which translates literally to house man or house servant. During the medieval period, this title typically referred to a person who managed a household for a wealthy landowner or served as a caretaker for a large estate. By 1663, records confirm that members of the family were established in the Lorraine region, a territory then caught between the cultural influences of France and the Holy Roman Empire. Living in this borderland meant that the family likely navigated a unique blend of linguistic and social traditions as they moved through the turbulent political landscape of the seventeenth century. Their presence in Lorraine suggests they were part of the local agrarian or administrative class that kept the regional economy functioning during a time of frequent territorial shifts.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hus
Old English or Germanic term for a dwelling or shelter.
This name
HousemanOccupational surname for a person who worked as a servant or caretaker within a large household.
also spelled
Hausman
Howsman
Houseman
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bahlow, Hans. Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt. 1967
Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann. Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen. 1957
Archives départementales de la Meurthe-et-Moselle, Série B: Cours et juridictions
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
swanGrace, light and the poet's art
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
swanGrace, light and the poet's art
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
