Map of France showing where the le Rebours arms are recorded
The le Rebours arms were recorded in Normandie, c. 1663.
Normandie held a dense crowd of knightly families on some of the best farmland in France. Its men had fought and settled abroad for generations, and a family that sent sons to war needed a shield they 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.
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the le Rebours 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 Normandie.
Origin & History of the le Rebours Family in France
The family name Le Rebours traces its roots to the historical region of Normandy, where members of the family were firmly established by the year 1663. The name itself is derived from the Old French word "rebours," which translates to "the reverse" or "the contrary." In medieval naming traditions, such a term was often used as a descriptive nickname for a person who possessed a stubborn or non-conformist personality. Over time, this descriptive label transitioned into a hereditary surname passed down through generations. By the middle of the seventeenth century, the family had integrated into the local social fabric of Normandy, likely participating in the agricultural and administrative life that defined the province during the reign of King Louis XIV. Their presence in regional records from this era suggests they were part of the established provincial population that helped shape the identity of northern France.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Rebours
Derived from the Old French word for backwards or contrary.
This name
le ReboursA nickname for someone with a stubborn, contrary, or eccentric personality.
also spelled
Rebours
Rebour
Rebourse
Le Reboor
Related arms
Rebours (le) de Vaumadeucvariant spelling
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
Archives départementales de la Seine-Maritime, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, Series E
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lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
