How to Tell If Your Ancestors Were Noble?

Rumor has it that we all descend from a king and a hanged man. Here’s how to check if your ancestors were noble.

How to Tell If Your Ancestors Were Noble?

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In summary: 

1. Do your genealogy

2. Consult family memory

3. Visit archives

4. Don’t rely on a particle 

5. Know the right terms and abbreviations

6. Research local history

7. Consult armorials

8. Browse nobility dictionaries and nobiliaries

9. Pay attention to professions/occupations

10. Consult online resources



But first, what is nobility?


The Centre national de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales defines nobility as the "quality by which someone is noble." This quality can be moral, institutional, granted to a person or by inheritance, dynastic, or revocable.


In genealogy, it's mostly political nobility that interests us. This refers to the condition of a distinct, hierarchical social class that enjoys privileges. Nobility situations are very diverse and seem to concern only 1.5% of French people.



How to trace a noble ancestor?


Before you start your research, here are some warnings and precautions:

    - It's one of our golden rules

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