A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Blacas family of France.
Reg. 4379 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
starThe celestial goddess, and nobility
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à une étoile (6) de gu. Sept cq. cour. C.: 1° et 7° un sauvage iss. de carn., ceint de lierre, tenant une massue posée sur son épaule; 2° et 6° une bannière de gu., ch. d'une passées en saut. et acc. en chef d'une étoile (5) d'arg.; b. d'or à l'ours de sa., pass. sur une terrasse de sin. Deux cq. cour. C.: 1° une épée d'arg., garnie d'or, entre six bannières alt. d'or et d'azur, frangées d'arg.; 2° un lion d'or, tenant de ses pattes une clé de sa. et soutenu d'un bastion de gu. S.: a dextre un lion reg. au nat., à sen. un ours reg. de sa. [Les gentilshommes du nom, an. en 1646, ne portent que le surtout, timbré du 1er cimier.]”
Francec. 1725
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Map of France showing where the Blacas arms are recorded
The Blacas arms were recorded in France, c. 1725.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
More families held coats of arms in Bretagne than anywhere else in France. The land was divided into many small estates rather than a few large ones, so far more households counted as gentry, and each needed a shield of its own to be told apart.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in France in this period.
Louis XV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XV of France
1715–1774
Reigning in France when the Blacas arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in France
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
Granting authority
The Juge d'armes de France acted as the official authority that regulated and verified coats of arms across the country.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms from ancestors, though they could also receive them through royal grants or by proving their noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Armorial Général de France, which began its main collection in the year 1696.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of France.
Origin & History of the Blacas Family in France
The family name Blacas traces its roots to the historical landscape of France, with documented evidence placing members of the lineage in the region of Bretagne by the year 1725. During this era, families in Bretagne were often deeply connected to the local agricultural and social structures of the province. The name likely evolved as a way to identify individuals based on their specific geographic origins or local community roles within the western coastal territories. As the family established itself in this region, they became part of the complex social fabric that defined eighteenth-century French life. Over time, the name persisted through generations, reflecting the movement and settlement patterns of families living in the rural and developing towns of the period.
Blacas Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Blac
Derived from the Germanic element blak meaning black or dark.
This name
BlacasA locative surname referring to someone from a place associated with dark features.
also spelled
Blacaz
Blaka
Blacass
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1725
Pottier, Jean, Histoire de la Bretagne, 1982
Gallia, Dictionnaire historique des noms de famille de France, 1995
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