Map of France showing where the Renault arms are recorded
The Renault 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 Renault 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 Renault Family in France
The surname Renault is a classic example of a name derived from a given name, specifically the ancient Germanic name Raginald, which combines the elements for "counsel" and "might." By the time the family was firmly established in the Bretagne region of France in 1663, the name had evolved through centuries of local dialect and oral tradition. Families bearing this name in western France were often tied to the land and the local parish systems that defined life in the seventeenth century. Because Bretagne maintained a distinct cultural and linguistic identity, the Renault name became deeply woven into the local records of the era. These early ancestors were likely part of the hardworking rural population that sustained the economy of the province through agriculture and maritime trade. Their presence in the region during the mid-1600s reflects a period of stability where family lineages began to be more formally documented in church registers and local tax rolls.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Raginald
Derived from Germanic elements meaning advice and ruler.
This name
RenaultA French surname signifying a powerful advisor or a wise ruler.
also spelled
Renaut
Reno
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
Morvan, Françoise, Bretagne est l'univers, 2001
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
bendDefence, and the scarf of a commander
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
