Nobiliaire universel de France: recueil général des généalogies historiques des maisons nobles de ce royaume

The Nobiliaire universel de France was conceived and edited by Nicolas Viton de Saint-Allais during the early 19th century, emerging in a post-Revolutionary France that was grappling with the restoration of its social hierarchy. Published between 1814 and 1843, this monumental undertaking sought to codify and document the genealogies of French noble families, serving both as an historical record and a tool for the re-establishment of aristocratic legitimacy under the Bourbon Restoration.

Saint-Allais collaborated with a team of scholars and heraldists to compile the multi-volume work, often drawing upon archival documents and family papers that were at risk of being lost in the wake of the political upheaval. While the work remains a cornerstone of French genealogical research, it was subject to criticism in its time for its reliance on unverified genealogical claims submitted by families seeking to enhance their prestige, though it remains an indispensable resource for the study of French nobility.