Denicolas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The surname is one of the oldest family names to came from that French region known as Brittany. It is derived from the Latin personal name Nicolaus, meaning victory people.

Early Origins of the Denicolas family

The surname Denicolas was first found in Brittany where they held a family seat in the seigneurie of Trévidy. They were members of the nobility since the year 1497. In Brittany they also branched to Champgèrault, Fardelière, Kerviziou, and Lézernant.

Early History of the Denicolas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Denicolas research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1501, 1516, 1598, 1617, 1625, 1682, 1695, 1709 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Denicolas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Denicolas Spelling Variations

There were a great number of spelling variations in French surnames. One reason for this was the wide variety of cultural influences present in France during the early development of the French language. The many spelling variations of the name include Nicolas, De Nicolas, Nicolis, Nicolaz, Nicolais, Nicolai, Nicola, Nicolay, Nicolau, Nicolaud, Nicolaus, DeNicolai and many more.

Early Notables of the Denicolas family

Notable amongst this name at this time was Louis Nicolas (died 1682), French missionary in Canada, author of the books "Histoire Naturelle des Indes Occidentales" and the "Grammaire algonquine"; Gabriel Nicolas...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Denicolas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Denicolas family

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Denicolas has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Denicolas were Etienne Nicolas who arrived in Quebec in 1750 from Aunis near Bordeaux, although this is thought to be his port of embarkation rather than his home region..

The Denicolas Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: En bon espoir
Motto Translation: In good hope.