A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Chaste family of France.
Reg. 0166 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
dovePeace, love and the Holy Spirit
starThe celestial goddess, and nobility
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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 gu. à une colombe d'arg.; au chef d'azur, ch. de trois étoiles d'or.”
DauphineDauphine, c. 1663
Where the Chaste Arms Were Recorded
Dauphine
Map of France showing where the Chaste arms are recorded
The Chaste arms were recorded in Dauphine, c. 1663.
Dauphine lay in the mountains of south-eastern France, a country of small estates and scattered valleys. Its gentry were many and mostly modest, and even a small landholding was enough to justify arms.
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 XIV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XIV of France
1643–1715
Reigning in France when the Chaste 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 Dauphine.
Origin & History of the Chaste Family in France
The family name Chaste finds its historical roots in the rugged and mountainous Dauphiné region of southeastern France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were firmly established within this area, which served as a vital crossroads between the French kingdom and the Italian states. The name itself is derived from the Old French word *chaste*, meaning pure or virtuous, and it likely functioned as a descriptive nickname for an ancestor known for their moral character or religious devotion. Living in the Alpine foothills, early generations of the Chaste family were deeply connected to the local landscape and the social structures of the seventeenth-century French countryside. As the family grew, they integrated into the rural economy and local administration of the province, leaving behind a legacy that reflects the resilience and traditions of the Dauphiné people during the early modern period.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
castus
Latin term meaning pure, chaste, or morally undefiled.
This name
ChasteA descriptive nickname for a person known for their virtuous, modest, or celibate lifestyle.
also spelled
Chastee
Chastes
Chast
Shast
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Borel d'Hauterive, André, Annuaire de la noblesse de France et des maisons souveraines de l'Europe, 1855
Archives départementales de l'Isère, Série E, État civil et registres paroissiaux de la province du Dauphiné, 1663
Chorier, Nicolas, Histoire générale de Dauphiné, 1661
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
dovePeace, love and the Holy Spirit
starThe celestial goddess, and nobility
chiefAuthority, wisdom and dominion
dovePeace, love and the Holy Spirit
starThe celestial goddess, and nobility
