A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Copas family of France.
Reg. 5842 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“D'arg. à quatorze tourt. de gu., 4, 4, 3, 2 et 1 Cq. cour. C.: un sauvage iss., tenant de sa main dextre une massue posée sur son épaule, et de sa sen. un bouclier. T.: deux sauvages de carn., ceints et cour. de lierre, arm. de massues, tenant chacun une bannière aux armes de l'écu.”
Francec. 1725
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Map of France showing where the Copas arms are recorded
The Copas 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 Copas 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 Copas Family in France
The family name Copas has deep roots in the coastal region of Bretagne, France, where records confirm members of the family were living as early as 1725. The name likely originated as a descriptive term or a nickname based on the local dialect spoken in northwestern France during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Families in this region often lived in small, tight-knit rural communities where they worked as farmers, artisans, or maritime laborers. Because Bretagne was a distinct province with its own cultural traditions, the Copas family was part of a unique social fabric that valued regional identity and local customs. Over time, as family members moved from these small villages toward larger towns, the name was passed down through generations, serving as a lasting link to their ancestral home in the French countryside.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Colpus
Derived from the Latin word for a blow or a strike.
This name
CopasA topographic name for someone living near a specific boundary or a nickname for a striker.
also spelled
Coppis
Kopis
Copiss
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
Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, Série B, Fonds de la juridiction de Rennes
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
