Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à trois chérubins de gu.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cailly family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'arg. à trois chérubins de gu.”
The Cailly arms were recorded in Ile-de-France, c. 1663.
Ile-de-France is the country around Paris, and proximity to the court mattered. Families who served the crown were rewarded with land near it, and land near the capital carried arms almost as a matter of course.
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.
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.
The family name Cailly finds its roots in the northern regions of France, where it likely originated as a locative surname derived from small settlements or villages bearing the same name. By the mid-seventeenth century, the family established a documented presence in the Ile-de-France region, a historical province centered around Paris that served as the political and cultural heart of the kingdom. In 1663, records indicate that members of the Cailly family were active within this area, living during a time of significant social change under the reign of King Louis XIV. During this period, families in the region often worked in agriculture, trade, or local administration, contributing to the steady growth of the Parisian basin. The name reflects the deep connection between French surnames and the specific landscapes where early ancestors lived and worked before migrating toward the capital.
Latin term meaning clever, skillful, or experienced.
