A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Hurter family of France.
Reg. 6406 · French, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
escallopThe pilgrim's shell, and a long journey made
duckResourcefulness on land and water
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Ec.: aux 1 et 4 de gu. au chev. d'arg., ch. de trois coquilles renv. du champ; aux 2 et 3 d'or à la fasce ondée d'azur, ch. de deux canettes affr. et démembrées d'arg. Sur le tout d'or à un croiss. figuré versé de sa., percé d'une flèche du même en pal. Deux cq. cour. C.: 1° un homme iss. et cont., hab. d'un parti d'or et de sa., retr. de l'un à l'autre, au rabat de l'un en l'autre, coiffé d'un bonnet albanais parti d'or et de sa., retr. de l'un à l'autre; tenant de sa main dextre levée les meubles du surtout, la sen. appuyée sur sa hanche; entre un vol de gu., l'aile dextre ch. d'une barre et la sen. d'une bande d'azur, surch. chacune d'une coquille renv. de gu.; l. d'or et de sa.; 2° une licorne iss. de gu., entre un vol d'or, chaque aile ch. d'une fasce ondée d'azur, surch. d'une canette démembrée d'arg., celle à dextre cont.; l. d'arg. et de gu.”
Francec. 1789
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Map of France showing where the Hurter arms are recorded
The Hurter arms were recorded in France, c. 1789.
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 XVI of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XVI of France
1774–1791
Reigning in France when the Hurter 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 Hurter Family in France
The family name Hurter is primarily rooted in the Germanic linguistic tradition, where it functioned as an occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "hurt," meaning a hurdle or a wicker frame. This suggests that the earliest ancestors bearing this name were likely craftsmen who specialized in weaving branches to create fences, baskets, or protective barriers for livestock. While the name is strongly associated with regions in Switzerland and Germany, its presence in Bretagne by 1789 indicates a significant migration pattern during the late eighteenth century. Families moving into this coastal region of France often integrated into the local agricultural or artisanal economies, adapting their traditional skills to the unique landscape of the Atlantic coast. By the time of the French Revolution, the Hurter family had established themselves within the social fabric of the province, marking a transition from their origins as specialized craftsmen to settled members of the Breton community.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Hurt
Old French word for a ram or a buttress.
This name
HurterAn occupational surname for a shepherd or someone who worked near a buttress.
also spelled
Hurtere
Hurterr
Hurterz
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
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
Archives départementales du Morbihan, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Série E: État civil et registres paroissiaux
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
chevronProtection, and faithful service completed
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
escallopThe pilgrim's shell, and a long journey made
duckResourcefulness on land and water
