Fortereux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

Noble surnames, such as Fortereux, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the French people. The original bearer of the name Fortereux, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful île-de-France region. In France, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Fortereux family originally derived its surname from the name of the place in île-de-France, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Fortereux family

The surname Fortereux was first found in île-de-France where they held a family seat in the Seigneurie of de la Fortier in de Beauce from ancient times.

This distinguished family moved south to Languedoc where they were elevated to the nobility of France. The family contributed greatly to their King and country in the military field. Later they acquired estates in northern France. They flourished on their estates for many centuries, intermarrying with other distinguished families of the area.

Louis Fortier, born in 1647, travelled from France to Canada in the 17th century. After arriving in the Canadian province of Quebec he married Madeleine Moisan, daughter of Nicolas and Jeanne, at Lachine on 26th June 1679. 1

Early History of the Fortereux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fortereux research. More information is included under the topic Early Fortereux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fortereux Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Fortier, Fortiers, Fortyer, Forthier, Fortiais, Fortiaie, Fortiay, Fortyers, Fortyais, Forttier, Forttiers, Forttyer, Fortthier, Forttiais, Forttiaie, Forttiay, Forttyers, Forttyais, Fortiey and many more.

Early Notables of the Fortereux family

More information is included under the topic Early Fortereux Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fortereux family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: A. Fortier who settled in San Francisco in 1850; Clementine Fortier aged 17; who settled in New Orleans in 1822; Louis Fortier who married Madelaine Moyson in Quebec and had 6 daughters and 3 sons.

The Fortereux 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: Turris fortissima virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue is a tower of strength to me.

Citations +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print