Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à la fasce d'arg., ch. d'un lion léopardé de gu. et acc. de trois molettes du sec.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Petrin family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à la fasce d'arg., ch. d'un lion léopardé de gu. et acc. de trois molettes du sec.”

The Petrin arms were recorded in Lorraine, c. 1663.
Lorraine sat on the border between France and the German lands, and border country bred soldiers. Families here held small estates and served in arms, and a fighting man was exactly the sort who carried a shield of his own.
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.
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 family name Petrin finds its historical roots in the eastern regions of France, specifically within the province of Lorraine. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in this area, which was a crossroads for trade and cultural exchange between the French and Germanic worlds. The name itself is likely a variation of the name Peter, which was one of the most popular given names in medieval Europe due to its religious significance. Over several generations, families often adopted these common names as permanent surnames to help identify their lineage within growing village communities. Living in Lorraine during the seventeenth century meant that the Petrin family experienced a period of significant political transition, as the region moved through various territorial shifts and conflicts that defined the early modern era. These early ancestors were likely involved in the agricultural or artisanal trades that supported the local economy of the Lorraine countryside.
Latin word meaning rock or stone.
