A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Cult family of France.
Reg. 2916 · French, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
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 trois pals d'arg.”
Franche-ComteFranche-Comte, c. 1663
Where the Cult Arms Were Recorded
Franche-Comte
Map of France showing where the Cult arms are recorded
The Cult arms were recorded in Franche-Comte, c. 1663.
Franche-Comte sat between France and the Empire and changed hands more than once. Border families held their land under arms and expected to defend it, so a shield was a practical thing rather than an ornament.
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 Cult 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 Franche-Comte.
Origin & History of the Cult Family in France
The family name Cult originates from the Franche-Comté region of eastern France, a territory known for its rugged landscape and long history of shifting borders. By 1663, records confirm that families bearing this name were established in this area, living through a period of significant political transition as the region moved from Spanish control toward integration with the French Kingdom. The name itself is likely locative, meaning it was used to identify people who hailed from the village of Cult, located in the modern-day Haute-Saône department. During the seventeenth century, families in this part of France were typically tied to the land, working as farmers or local tradespeople who maintained strong community bonds within their parish. Because the region was frequently affected by regional conflicts, these early families had to be resilient and adaptable to survive the changing social landscape of the seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Cultus
Latin term meaning care, cultivation, adoration, or refined lifestyle.
This name
CultRefers to a person who lived near a place of worship or was a dedicated cultivator of land.
also spelled
Kult
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de la Haute-Saône, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil, 1663
Boussey, Jean-Louis, Histoire de la Franche-Comté, 1985
Gauthier, Léon, Dictionnaire des communes du département de la Haute-Saône, 1902
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paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
