Map of France showing where the Lavallée arms are recorded
The Lavallée arms were recorded in Orleanais, c. 1663.
Orleanais lay on the Loire around Orleans, close enough to Paris for court money to reach it. Officials and lawyers who did well bought estates there, and an estate brought a coat of arms with it.
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 Lavallée 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 Orleanais.
Origin & History of the Lavallée Family in France
The surname Lavallée is a classic example of a topographic name, which was common in medieval France for identifying families by the landscape where they lived. The name translates literally to "of the valley," suggesting that the earliest ancestors likely resided in a low-lying area or a river basin. By 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in the Orléanais region, a fertile area located along the Loire River. During this period, families in this province were often deeply connected to the local agricultural economy and the social structures of the French countryside. As the family grew, the name served as a permanent link to their geographic origins, helping to distinguish them within their community as they moved through the seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
vallis
Latin term meaning a valley or low-lying land.
This name
LavalléeRefers to someone who lived in or near a valley.
also spelled
Lavally
Lavale
Lavalle
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dauzat, Albert. Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France. 1951
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse. Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille. 1991
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
swordJustice, and military honour
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
swordJustice, and military honour
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
