Bully Coat of Arms Record & History

A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Bully family of France.

Reg. 6194 · French, A–C

Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details

Where the Bully Arms Were Recorded

Forez
Map of France showing where the Bully arms are recorded

The Bully arms were recorded in Forez, c. 1663.

Forez was a small upland county in central France, thick with minor gentry holding modest estates. Its families were more numerous than wealthy, and even a small holding was enough for a shield of one's own.

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.

Region
Forez
First recorded
1663

Granting Authority for the Bully Arms

Arms of Juge d'armes de France
Juge d'armes de France
Authority

Juge d'armes de France

1407-1789

The body that granted and recorded arms in France in this period.

Portrait of Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Sovereign of the period

Louis XIV of France

1643–1715

Reigning in France when the Bully 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 Forez.

Origin & History of the Bully Family in France

The family name Bully finds its historical roots in the region of Forez, France, where records confirm members of the family were established by 1663. During this period, the Forez area was a landscape defined by its rolling hills and a strong connection to the land, which likely shaped the daily lives of the family. The name itself is thought to be locative, meaning it was originally used to identify people who lived near or originated from a specific place called Bully. In the seventeenth century, families in this region were often deeply integrated into the local agricultural or artisanal economy. By settling in Forez, the early members of the Bully family became part of a long-standing provincial tradition that valued community ties and local identity. Their presence in the historical record during the mid-1600s suggests they were well-rooted in the social fabric of the French countryside long before the modern era.

Related Branches & Arms

Root word
Bulliacum

A Gallo-Roman estate or settlement belonging to a person named Bullius.

This name
BullyRefers to a person originating from the village of Bully in Normandy or other French locations.
also spelled
Buli
Bullee

Documented Sources

J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87

Archives départementales de la Loire, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil de la commune de Bully

Gras, Louis-Pierre, Répertoire héraldique ou Armorial général du Forez, 1874. (Note: This source provides genealogical and geographical context for the region despite its title)

La Mure, Jean-Marie de, Histoire des ducs de Bourbon et des comtes de Forez, 1868

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