A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Ravenwood family of France.
lionCourage, strength and royaltyJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur au lion d'or, cour. du même.”
The Ravenwood arms were recorded in Normandie, c. 1663.
Normandie held a dense crowd of knightly families on some of the best farmland in France. Its men had fought and settled abroad for generations, and a family that sent sons to war needed a shield they 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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in France in this period.
Reigning in France when the Ravenwood arms are first recorded.
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 name Ravenwood carries a deep connection to the landscape of northern France, where the family was established in the region of Normandy by 1663. During this period, the name likely functioned as a topographic descriptor, identifying individuals who lived near a specific woodland or a forest clearing frequented by ravens. In the seventeenth century, families often adopted surnames based on the natural features of their immediate environment to distinguish themselves within their local parishes. As the family moved and settled in different areas, the name evolved to reflect their transition from rural life to more structured community roles. This linguistic evolution highlights how early ancestors were closely tied to the geography of their homeland before the name eventually spread across borders and into new historical contexts.
Latin for crow and Old English for forest or wood.
