Map of France showing where the Nou arms are recorded
The Nou arms were recorded in Languedoc, c. 1663.
Languedoc stretched across the south of France, a country of small towns, vineyards and old local families. Its gentry were numerous rather than grand, and a great many of them held arms even where their estates were modest.
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 Nou 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 Languedoc.
Origin & History of the Nou Family in France
The family name Nou has deep roots in the Languedoc region of southern France, where records confirm members of the family were established by 1663. During this period, the Languedoc area was a hub of agricultural activity and religious transition, which likely shaped the daily lives of the early Nou family. The name itself is thought to be a variation of local Occitan or Catalan terms, potentially linked to geographic landmarks or descriptive nicknames common among families living in the rural communities of the Mediterranean coast. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the region, participating in the local economy and the traditional life of the French countryside. Their presence in the seventeenth-century records suggests they were settled members of the community who lived through a time of significant cultural change in southern France.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Novus
Latin term meaning new or young.
This name
NouRefers to a newcomer or someone who recently settled in a specific location.
also spelled
Nwee
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de l'Hérault, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, Collection communale
Le Roy Ladurie, Emmanuel, Les Paysans de Languedoc, 1966
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chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
chequyConstancy, and the counting-board
