Bourgeois Surname: Origin and Coat of Arms
What does Bourgeois mean, and where does it come from? Here is a brief introduction.
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Origin of the Bourgeois name
Bourgeois comes from Old French burgeis, "town dweller", from bourg, "fortified town". In the Middle Ages a bourgeois was a freeman of a town, with rights to trade and take part in its government, and the name may also have been given to a countryman who had lived in a town. It is found throughout France and in Belgium, and it is an old Acadian family name in Canada and Louisiana.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Bourgeois name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Bourgeois name in France. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Canada, Belgium and the United States; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Your full Bourgeois pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Bourgeois coat of arms for you.
Bourgeois name FAQ
What does the Bourgeois name mean?
Townsman, burgher. Common variants include Bourgeoys, Bourgois, Burgess.
Where does the Bourgeois surname come from?
It originates in France, and is also found in Canada, Belgium and the United States.
Is there a Bourgeois coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Bourgeois crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bourgeois coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Albert Dauzat & Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).