Map of France showing where the Ferla arms are recorded
The Ferla arms were recorded in Bresse, c. 1725.
Bresse was flat farming country in eastern France, known for its poultry and its markets. Its landed families were modest and long-settled, and steady holding of the same ground is what fills a register.
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 Ferla 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 Bresse.
Origin & History of the Ferla Family in France
The family name Ferla has deep roots in the Bresse region of eastern France, where records confirm members of the family were established by 1725. During the eighteenth century, Bresse was a landscape defined by its rich agricultural traditions and its proximity to the Jura Mountains. Families in this area often lived in small, tight-knit rural communities that relied on the fertile soil and local livestock for their livelihoods. The name itself likely evolved from local dialects or geographic descriptions common to the region, reflecting the way people identified themselves by their trade or their surroundings. By the early 1700s, the Ferla family was already integrated into the social and economic fabric of this province, participating in the daily life of a rural society that was slowly transitioning through the final decades of the French monarchy.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
ferrum
Latin term referring to the metal iron.
This name
FerlaA topographic name for someone living near an iron mine or a worker in the iron industry.
also spelled
Ferlai
Ferley
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de l'Ain, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil de la Bresse, 1725
Benoit, Arthur, Histoire de la Bresse et du Bugey, 1885
Guichenon, Samuel, Histoire de Bresse et de Bugey, 1650
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
cross symbolChristian faith and service
cross symbolChristian faith and service
