A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the le Borgne family of France.
eagleNobility, strength and a keen mindJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à trois aigles d'or.”
The le Borgne arms were recorded in Picardie, c. 1663.
Picardie lay on the northern road into France and saw armies pass through it repeatedly. Its landowners were soldiers as often as farmers, and a soldier needed a shield he could be recognised by.
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 le Borgne 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 surname Le Borgne originates from a medieval French nickname that translates literally to "the one-eyed." In the Middle Ages, it was common for families to adopt descriptive names based on physical traits, and this name likely identified an ancestor who had lost sight in one eye or possessed a distinct squint. By the mid-seventeenth century, the family was well-established in the Picardie region of northern France. This area was a vital agricultural and cultural hub, and records confirm that members of the family were living there by 1663. Many individuals from this region eventually migrated to New France during the colonial era, carrying the name across the Atlantic and helping to spread it throughout North America. The history of the name reflects the common practice of turning personal characteristics into lasting family legacies that endure through the centuries.
Latin term meaning one-eyed or blind in one eye.
