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)“D'azur à trois croisettes d'arg.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Shoop family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'azur à trois croisettes d'arg.”

The Shoop arms were recorded in Poitou, c. 1663.
Poitou was western French farming country, divided among a large number of small landed families. Its gentry were numerous and modest, and even a small estate was enough to justify a shield.
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 Shoop is an anglicized variation of the French surname Schoup or Schuppe, which traces its roots to the historic province of Poitou. By 1663, records confirm that members of this family were well-established in the region, living during a time of significant social and religious transition in western France. The name itself likely originated as a descriptive term or a topographic identifier, common for families living near specific landmarks or engaged in traditional trades during the seventeenth century. As these individuals moved across borders and settled in new lands, the spelling evolved to match the phonetic patterns of their new homes. This transition reflects the broader movement of families who sought new opportunities while carrying the linguistic heritage of their ancestral French roots.
A Middle High German term referring to a scale or flake.
