A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Carlen family of Switzerland.
Reg. 1689 · Swiss, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
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 un peuplier de sin., accosté de deux lions affr. d'or, ramp. contre le fût; le tout soutenu d'un tertre de trois coupeaux de sin.”
SwitzerlandValais, c. 1745
Where the Carlen Arms Were Recorded
Valais
Map of Switzerland showing where the Carlen arms are recorded
The Carlen arms were recorded in Valais, c. 1745.
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 Switzerland in this period.
How Arms Worked in Switzerland
In Switzerland, coats of arms were not restricted to the nobility and were often adopted by common citizens and families. These symbols were passed down through generations to show family identity. When branches of a family grew, they often changed small details of the design to distinguish their own line from the original group.
Granting authority
Cantonal and civic authorities managed the use of coats of arms within their specific regions and local jurisdictions.
How they got arms
Families typically assumed their own coats of arms based on local custom rather than receiving them from a central monarch.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in various cantonal and civic registers starting from the fourteenth century throughout the Swiss region.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Switzerland.
Origin & History of the Carlen Family in Switzerland
The family name Carlen has deep roots in the mountainous region of Valais, Switzerland, where members were firmly established by the year 1745. The name likely originated as a variation of the Germanic name Karl, which means free man. In the rugged landscape of the Swiss Alps, families often settled in specific valleys and remained there for generations to manage livestock and alpine farms. By the mid-18th century, the Carlen family was already integrated into the local social and political life of the region. They were part of the hardworking communities that navigated the challenges of high-altitude living, relying on communal cooperation and traditional agricultural practices to thrive in the isolated villages of the Valais canton.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Karl
A Germanic word meaning free man or peasant.
This name
CarlenA diminutive form representing a descendant of a free man.
also spelled
Karlen
Carlin
Related arms
Carlinvariant spelling
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Josef Guntern, Die Walliser Familiennamen, 1991
Louis Carlen, Walliser Geschichte, 1982
Staatsarchiv Wallis, Kirchenbücher der Pfarrei Reckingen
Staatsarchiv Wallis, Zivilstandsregister des Bezirks Goms
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mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
lionCourage, strength and royalty
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
treeLife, endurance and deep roots
lionCourage, strength and royalty
