A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the C family of France.
Reg. 0836 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
goatOne who wins by diplomacy rather than force
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“un bouquetin iss. d'arg. L. d'arg. et de gu. S.: deux aigles de Prusse.”
Francec. 1725
Where the C Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the C arms are recorded
The C 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 C 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 C Family in France
The history of the family name C. in the region of Bretagne begins with deep roots in the rural landscape of eighteenth-century France. By 1725, records confirm that members of the family were already established within this coastal province, living through a period defined by agricultural traditions and close-knit village life. During this era, families in Bretagne often identified themselves through their specific parish communities, where local registers tracked births, marriages, and deaths. The name likely evolved from a descriptive term or a local geographic location, reflecting how people were identified before modern census systems existed. As the family navigated the social changes of the 1700s, they remained part of the regional fabric that shaped the unique cultural identity of the Breton people. Their presence in the historical record during this time offers a glimpse into the lives of ancestors who helped build the foundations of the family lineage in western France.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Caelum
Latin term referring to the sky, heavens, or the vault above.
This name
CDerived from a topographic descriptor for someone living near the sky or heavens.
also spelled
Ce
Cee
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Finistère, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Archives départementales du Morbihan, Collection de l'état civil
Gautier, Hervé. Histoire de la Bretagne. 1993
Le Gall, Jean-Yves. La vie quotidienne en Bretagne au XVIIIe siècle. 1988
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goatOne who wins by diplomacy rather than force
goatOne who wins by diplomacy rather than force
