Map of France showing where the Carolus arms are recorded
The Carolus 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 Carolus 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 Carolus Family in France
The family name Carolus traces its roots to the Latin version of the name Charles, which became popular across Europe due to the influence of Charlemagne. By the early eighteenth century, the name was firmly established in the region of Bretagne in northwestern France. Families bearing this name during this period were often part of the rural or merchant classes who lived in the coastal villages and inland parishes of the province. Because the region of Bretagne maintained a distinct cultural identity and a unique language during the 1700s, the Carolus family likely navigated a society that blended local Breton traditions with the broader administrative systems of the French kingdom. Their presence in official records from 1725 suggests they were settled members of the community who participated in the local parish life and the agricultural economy of the time.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Karl
A Germanic word meaning free man or man.
This name
CarolusA Latinized form of Charles, signifying a free man or a person of noble stature.
also spelled
Kaurols
Caurol
Caurolse
Corol
Korol
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
Gautier, Hervé, Histoire de la Bretagne, 1993
Le Gall, Jean-Marie, Les Bretons et la mer, 2005
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
crescentHonour by the sovereign, and the second son
