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)“Bandé de gu. et d'or; au chef d'azur, ch. de trois oiseaux d'arg.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Trunnell family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Bandé de gu. et d'or; au chef d'azur, ch. de trois oiseaux d'arg.”
The Trunnell arms were recorded in Lyonnais, c. 1663.
Lyonnais centred on Lyon, one of the great banking and silk towns of France. Money made in the city bought estates in the countryside around it, and those estates brought arms with them.
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 Trunnell likely traces its roots to the historic Lyonnais region of France, where records confirm family members were established by 1663. During this period, the area was a bustling center for trade and silk production, which often influenced the movement and professional lives of local families. The name itself may have originated as a descriptive term or a nickname based on the specific dialect spoken in eastern France at the time. As families moved through the rural landscape of the Lyonnais province, they often integrated into the local agricultural or artisanal communities. Over the following generations, the name evolved alongside the linguistic shifts of the region before eventually spreading to other parts of Europe and beyond.
Derived from the Old French word for a tree trunk or stem.
