A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dauphin family of France.
Reg. 5678 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
dolphinSwiftness, charity and love
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 un dauphin d'arg., crêté, oreillé et barbé d'azur.”
AuvergneAuvergne, c. 1663
Where the Dauphin Arms Were Recorded
Auvergne
Map of France showing where the Dauphin arms are recorded
The Dauphin arms were recorded in Auvergne, c. 1663.
Auvergne was mountain country in the middle of France, poor in money but thick with old families. Estates were small and held for a very long time, and long tenure counted for more than wealth when it came to 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 Dauphin 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 Auvergne.
Origin & History of the Dauphin Family in France
The family name Dauphin carries a deep connection to the history of the Auvergne region in central France. By the year 1663, records confirm that members of the family were well established within this rugged, mountainous landscape. The name itself is derived from the French word for dolphin, which was also a traditional title given to the eldest sons of the French kings. In the medieval period, powerful regional lords in the neighboring Dauphiné province adopted this title as a formal name to signify their status and authority. Over time, the name spread to neighboring areas like Auvergne, where families likely adopted it to reflect their local standing or their historical ties to the nobility. As the family grew, they became deeply integrated into the local community, living through the agricultural and social changes that defined life in the French countryside during the seventeenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Delphinus
A Latin term referring to the dolphin sea mammal.
This name
DauphinHistorically used as a title for the heir apparent to the French throne.
also spelled
Dauphyn
Dofin
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Boudet, Marcellin. Documents historiques, inédits ou peu connus, sur la ville de Riom. 1872
Archives départementales du Puy-de-Dôme. Collection de l'état civil de la province d'Auvergne, série E
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dolphinSwiftness, charity and love
dolphinSwiftness, charity and love
