Map of France showing where the Olives arms are recorded
The Olives arms were recorded in Flandre, c. 1663.
Flandre grew rich on cloth, and its towns were among the busiest in Europe. Merchant families bought land with their profits and took arms to go with it, so trade put as many names in the registers here as land did.
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 Olives 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 Flandre.
Origin & History of the Olives Family in France
The family name Olives finds its historical roots in the complex social landscape of the seventeenth century, specifically within the region of Flanders. By 1663, records confirm that members of the family were established in this area, which was then a crossroads of European trade and cultural exchange. The name itself likely originated as a descriptive term or a topographic reference, reflecting the agricultural traditions or the specific geographic features of the lands where the family first settled. During this period, families in Flanders often moved between growing urban centers and rural estates to manage local commerce or agricultural production. As the family integrated into the local community, they became part of the enduring social fabric of the Low Countries, contributing to the regional history that defined the era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
oliva
Latin term for the olive fruit or the olive tree.
This name
OlivesA topographic name for someone who lived near an olive grove or an occupational name for an olive grower.
also spelled
Olyves
Olives
Ollyve
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Pirenne, Henri, Histoire de Belgique, 1900-1932
State Archives in Belgium (Archives de l'État en Belgique), Registres paroissiaux des Flandres
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bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
