Map of France showing where the Simms arms are recorded
The Simms arms were recorded in Philadelphie, c. 1725.
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 XV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XV of France
1715–1774
Reigning in France when the Simms 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 Simms Family in France
The surname Simms is a patronymic name, which means it originated as a way to identify a person as the son of someone named Simon. The name Simon itself comes from a Hebrew word meaning to listen or to hear. By the early 18th century, families carrying this name had established a presence in the region of Bretagne in northwestern France. During this period, the name often appeared in local records as a variation of the French name Siméon. These early families were likely integrated into the rural and maritime communities of the area, where they lived as farmers, tradespeople, or coastal workers. As families moved across borders and languages, the spelling evolved into the English form of Simms, reflecting the phonetic shifts that occurred as the name traveled from the continent to the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Simon
Derived from the Hebrew name Shim'on meaning he has heard.
This name
SimmsA patronymic surname indicating descent from a person named Simon.
also spelled
Syms
Simms
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
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
Archives Départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1725
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crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
