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)“De gu. au lion d'arg., acc. de cinq croisettes d'or, rangées en orle.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cauchi family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“De gu. au lion d'arg., acc. de cinq croisettes d'or, rangées en orle.”

The Cauchi arms were recorded in Normandie, c. 1663.
Normandie held a dense crowd of knightly families on some of the best farmland in France. Its men had fought and settled abroad for generations, and a family that sent sons to war needed a shield they could be recognised by.
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 surname Cauchi is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of Normandy, where records confirm the presence of family members as early as 1663. The name is widely considered to be a regional variation of names derived from the Latin word *calx*, which refers to limestone or chalk. Given the geology of the Normandy region, it is likely that the name originally served as a topographic identifier for families living near chalky cliffs or quarries. Over time, the spelling evolved as the family moved through different parishes and administrative districts. By the mid-seventeenth century, the name was well-established within the local social structure, reflecting the agricultural and trade-based lifestyle common to the Norman people of that era.
Derived from the Latin word caucus meaning a drinking vessel or cup.
