Map of France showing where the Potvin arms are recorded
The Potvin 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 Potvin 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 Potvin Family in France
The surname Potvin finds its roots in the historical region of Brittany, France, where records confirm the family was established by at least 1663. The name is generally categorized as a descriptive nickname, likely originating from the Old French words for a pot or a vessel, which may have identified a person who worked as a potter or a merchant selling earthenware. During the seventeenth century, families in this coastal region often lived in tight-knit rural communities where trade and craftsmanship defined their social standing. As the family grew, some members eventually moved away from their ancestral home in Brittany to seek new opportunities in the French colonies of North America. This migration helped spread the name across the Atlantic, turning a localized French surname into a lasting part of colonial history.
Potvin Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Poitevin
A person originating from the historical Poitou region of France.
This name
PotvinAn occupational or habitational surname denoting someone who came from the Poitou province.
also spelled
Poitevi
Poitevinn
Poytevan
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Jetté, René, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec, 1983
Drouin, Gabriel, Dictionnaire national des Canadiens français 1608-1760, 1975
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Fonds Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, Registres de l'état civil
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lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
lozengeHonour and nobility, and the arms of a woman
