A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Carte family of France.
Reg. 3975 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
lionCourage, strength and royalty
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
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)
“De sa. à lafasce d'or, acc. en chef d'une tête de lion du même, mouv. de la fasce.”
Francec. 1725
Where the Carte Arms Were Recorded
Bretagne
Map of France showing where the Carte arms are recorded
The Carte 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 Carte 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 Carte Family in France
The family name Carte finds its roots in the historical region of Bretagne, France, where members of the family were documented as early as 1725. During this period, the name was closely tied to the rural landscape and the social structures of the French countryside. Families like the Cartes often lived in small, tight-knit communities where their surname was likely linked to their specific occupation or a notable geographical feature near their home. As the eighteenth century progressed, these families navigated the complex economic and political changes of the French provinces, maintaining their presence in the region through generations of agricultural work and local trade. This early history reflects the typical experience of families in Bretagne who built their lives around the land and the traditions of their local parishes.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Charta
Latin term for paper, leaf, or a written document.
This name
CarteAn occupational name for a scribe, clerk, or someone who worked with parchment.
also spelled
Kart
Cart
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales d’Ille-et-Vilaine, Série B (Fonds de la juridiction de Bretagne)
Gautier, Hervé. Histoire de la Bretagne et des Bretons. 2005
Le Moyne de La Borderie, Arthur. Histoire de Bretagne. 1896
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lionCourage, strength and royalty
lionCourage, strength and royalty
