A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Florida family of France.
Reg. 4410 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cross symbolChristian faith and service
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 la croix dentelée d'arg.”
FranceCambr, c. 1663
Where the Florida Arms Were Recorded
Cambr
Map of France showing where the Florida arms are recorded
The Florida arms were recorded in Cambr, c. 1663.
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 Florida 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 Florida Family in France
The family name Florida carries a history that reaches back into the seventeenth century, with documented evidence placing family members in the English town of Cambridgeshire by 1663. During this period, surnames were often tied to a person’s place of origin, occupation, or a notable physical characteristic. While the name shares a spelling with the famous peninsula, its roots in England likely stem from older linguistic traditions or local geographic markers familiar to the residents of the East Anglian region. Families living in Cambridgeshire during the mid-1600s were often part of tight-knit agricultural communities that were deeply affected by the political and social shifts of the English Civil War era. By establishing themselves in this specific area, the early Florida family became part of the long-standing demographic fabric of the English countryside, eventually branching out as generations moved across the country and beyond.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
flos
Latin term meaning flower or blossom.
This name
FloridaDerived from a topographic name for someone living near a field of flowers.
also spelled
Florida
Floridass
Floridaz
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Cambridgeshire Archives, Bishop's Transcripts of Parish Registers, 1663
Reaney, P.H., A Dictionary of British Surnames, 1958
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cross symbolChristian faith and service
cross symbolChristian faith and service
