Map of France showing where the Marée arms are recorded
The Marée arms were recorded in Bretagne, c. 1663.
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 XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Marée 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 Bretagne.
Origin & History of the Marée Family in France
The surname Marée finds its roots in the coastal regions of western France, specifically within the historic province of Bretagne. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were already established in this area, where the name likely evolved as a descriptive term linked to the sea. In the local dialect and Old French, the word relates to the tides or the movement of the ocean, suggesting that the earliest ancestors may have been mariners, fishermen, or people living along the rugged shoreline. As families in this region often identified themselves by their connection to the landscape, the name became a permanent marker of their coastal heritage. Over the following generations, the family maintained a presence in the Breton countryside, reflecting the deep ties that local communities held to their ancestral lands during the seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
mare
A body of standing water or a marshy area.
This name
MaréeRefers to a person who lived near a pond, marsh, or swampy terrain.
also spelled
Marey
Maray
Mare
Related arms
Mareyvariant spelling
Fresnoye de Landrethunrecorded with Marée, same area
Guiselin de Chipillyrecorded with Marée, same area
le Marchandrecorded with Marée, same area
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
Archives départementales du Finistère, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, 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.
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
