A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cales family of France.
Reg. 5333 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
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Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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 une cuirasse antique d'or, ch. sur la poitrine d'un vol d'arg., et adextrée d'un S d'arg. et senestrée d'un C du sec.; le tout surm. d'un casque de dragon aussi d'or, posé de profil.”
Francec. 1725
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Map of France showing where the Cales arms are recorded
The Cales 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 Cales 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 Cales Family in France
The family name Cales has deep roots in the Brittany region of France, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1725. During this period, the name was likely linked to the local Breton culture and the specific geography of the western French coastline. Families in this area often took names based on their trade, their physical traits, or the small villages where they settled. Because Brittany remained a distinct cultural area with its own traditions and language, the Cales family likely participated in the agricultural or maritime life that defined the region during the eighteenth century. Over time, the name persisted through generations, reflecting the steady migration and community ties common to families living in the rural parishes of the province before the French Revolution.
Cales Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Calis
Derived from the Latin word calix meaning a cup or chalice.
This name
CalesA topographic name for someone living near a hollow or a nickname for a cup maker.
also spelled
Kales
Cale
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
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms et prénoms de France, 1951
Deshayes, Albert, Dictionnaire des noms de famille bretons, 1995
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
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