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)“Ec. : aux 1 et 4 de gu. à la croix d'arg.; aux 2 et 3 d'arg. au lion de sa.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ranne family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Ec. : aux 1 et 4 de gu. à la croix d'arg.; aux 2 et 3 d'arg. au lion de sa.”

The Ranne arms were recorded in Picardie, c. 1663.
Picardie lay on the northern road into France and saw armies pass through it repeatedly. Its landowners were soldiers as often as farmers, and a soldier needed a shield he could be recognised by.
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 Ranne traces its roots back to the northern region of Picardie in France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were already established in this area. During the seventeenth century, Picardie was a landscape defined by its proximity to the border and its role in the agricultural life of the kingdom. Families living in this region often worked as skilled laborers or farmers who contributed to the local economy of the French countryside. The name itself likely evolved from local dialects spoken in northern France, reflecting the unique linguistic history of the people living near the coast. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of their local parishes, leaving behind traces in official registers that document their presence long before the modern era.
Old Germanic term referring to a shield or protective covering.
