A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Virella family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à trois jumelles de gu.”
The Virella arms were recorded in Bretagne, c. 1663.
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.
Reigning in France when the Virella arms are first recorded.
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 Virella finds its historical roots in the northwestern region of France known as Bretagne. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well-established within this coastal territory. During the seventeenth century, Bretagne was a distinct province with its own unique cultural identity and language traditions. Families living in this area often relied on the land or the sea for their livelihood, and their surnames frequently evolved from local geography or specific nicknames. The name Virella likely emerged during this period as a way to distinguish this particular lineage within their local parish. As the family grew, they remained part of the social fabric of the region, contributing to the agricultural and maritime life that defined the Breton landscape for generations.
Latin term meaning green, flourishing, or youthful.
