Map of France showing where the Rivest arms are recorded
The Rivest 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 Rivest 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 Rivest Family in France
The family name Rivest finds its origins in the historical region of Brittany, France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well established within this coastal area. The name is believed to be a variation of the French word rive, which translates to riverbank. This suggests that the earliest ancestors likely lived near a prominent body of water or worked as people who managed river crossings. As was common for families in seventeenth-century France, the Rivest name served as a way to identify individuals by their geographic surroundings or their local landscape. Many families from this region eventually traveled across the Atlantic to settle in New France, carrying their ancestral name and traditions to a new continent.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Rive
Derived from the Latin ripa meaning bank or shore.
This name
RivestA topographic name for someone who lived near a riverbank or the edge of a body of water.
also spelled
Reves
Revets
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
Archives nationales du Québec, Registres de l'état civil, 1621–1900
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
