Map of France showing where the Pouliot arms are recorded
The Pouliot arms were recorded in France, c. 1663.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
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 Pouliot 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 France.
Origin & History of the Pouliot Family in France
The family name Pouliot traces its roots back to the historic region of Bretagne in France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of this family were living in this coastal area before many of them eventually crossed the Atlantic to settle in New France. The name itself is thought to be a variation of the French word pouillot, which refers to a small bird known as a willow warbler. In the seventeenth century, surnames were often derived from nicknames related to a person's physical traits or their observations of nature. As these early ancestors moved from the rural landscapes of Bretagne to the developing colonies in North America, they carried this name with them, establishing a lineage that would become deeply rooted in the history of Quebec.
Pouliot Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Poulet
A diminutive form of the French word for chicken or fowl.
This name
PouliotA nickname for a person with a small stature or a chicken farmer.
also spelled
Poulette
Pouletz
Pouletet
Poolay
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Jetté, René, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec, 1983
Tanguay, Cyprien, Dictionnaire généalogique des familles canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu'à nos jours, 1871
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Fonds du Conseil souverain de la Nouvelle-France
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batonAuthority and office held under the crown
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
batonAuthority and office held under the crown
wingSwiftness, and protection under a raised wing
