A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Caffe family of France.
Reg. 9540 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cross symbolChristian faith and service
savages head affrontyAn enemy overcome
swordJustice, and military honour
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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'azur à la croix d'arg., cant. de quatre têtes de More du même; au fr.-q. de gu. ch. d'une épée d'arg.”
SavoySavoy, c. 1663
Where the Caffe Arms Were Recorded
Savoy
Map of France showing where the Caffe arms are recorded
The Caffe arms were recorded in Savoy, c. 1663.
Savoy was Alpine country ruled by its own house for eight hundred years. Families there held land and served in arms, and both service and landholding brought recorded shields with them.
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 XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Caffe 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 Savoy.
Origin & History of the Caffe Family in France
The family name Caffe finds its early roots in the mountainous region of Savoy, where records confirm the family was established by 1663. During this period, Savoy was a strategically important territory located between modern-day France and Italy. Families living in this area often navigated a blend of French and Italian cultural influences due to the shifting political borders of the Duchy of Savoy. The name itself likely evolved from local linguistic traditions, potentially reflecting the occupational or regional identities common among families in the Alpine valleys. As the family grew, they became part of the social fabric of the region, participating in the agricultural and community life that defined life in the seventeenth-century highlands. This early presence in Savoy suggests that the family was well-integrated into the local administrative and parish systems that governed the lives of residents during the reign of the House of Savoy.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
cophinus
Latin term for a basket or container.
This name
CaffeAn occupational name for a basket maker or a merchant who sold goods in baskets.
also spelled
Kaffe
Kafe
Caffay
Coffee
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de la Savoie, État civil et registres paroissiaux de la Savoie
Besson, Joseph, Mémoires pour l'histoire ecclésiastique des diocèses de Genève, Tarantaise, Aoste et Maurienne, 1759
Foras, Amédée de, Armorial et nobiliaire de l'ancien duché de Savoie, 1863
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
cross symbolChristian faith and service
savages head affrontyAn enemy overcome
swordJustice, and military honour
cross symbolChristian faith and service
savages head affrontyAn enemy overcome
swordJustice, and military honour
