A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dung family of France.
Reg. 3783 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
vairProtection, and the winter fur
Colours
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)
“De gu. à trois pals de vair. C.: une tête et col de lion d'or.”
LorraineLorraine, c. 1663
Where the Dung Arms Were Recorded
Lorraine
Map of France showing where the Dung arms are recorded
The Dung arms were recorded in Lorraine, c. 1663.
Lorraine sat on the border between France and the German lands, and border country bred soldiers. Families here held small estates and served in arms, and a fighting man was exactly the sort who carried a shield of his own.
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 Dung 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 Lorraine.
Origin & History of the Dung Family in France
The family name Dung traces its historical roots to the Lorraine region of eastern France, where records confirm the presence of family members by the year 1663. During the seventeenth century, Lorraine was a territory defined by its strategic location between the French kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire, often serving as a crossroads for shifting borders and cultural exchange. Families living in this area during this period frequently navigated the challenges of regional conflicts and the reconstruction of local society following the devastation of the Thirty Years' War. The name itself likely emerged from local linguistic traditions, reflecting the specific dialects spoken in the borderlands of the Moselle and Meurthe valleys. By settling in this region, early ancestors became part of a resilient community that maintained deep ties to the land and local parish life throughout the transition into the modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Dun
A Celtic term referring to a fortified hill or stronghold.
This name
DungA topographic name for someone who lived near a hill fort or elevated settlement.
also spelled
Dunge
Dungue
Dunghe
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de la Moselle, Registres paroissiaux de Lorraine, 1663
Benoît, Arthur, Notes sur l'histoire de la Lorraine, 1885
Cabourdin, Guy, La vie quotidienne en Lorraine au XVIIe siècle, 1984
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paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
