A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fray family of France.
Reg. 4740 · French, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“D'azur à sept étoiles d'arg., 2, 2, 2 et 1.”
FlandreFlandre, c. 1663
Where the Fray Arms Were Recorded
Flandre
Map of France showing where the Fray arms are recorded
The Fray arms were recorded in Flandre, c. 1663.
Flandre grew rich on cloth, and its towns were among the busiest in Europe. Merchant families bought land with their profits and took arms to go with it, so trade put as many names in the registers here as land did.
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 Fray 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 Flandre.
Origin & History of the Fray Family in France
The family name Fray has deep roots in the historical region of Flanders, where members of the family were documented as early as 1663. During the seventeenth century, this area was a busy crossroads of trade and culture between modern-day France and Belgium. The name itself likely evolved from local linguistic traditions, potentially serving as a descriptive term for an individual’s personality or their role within a medieval community. As families in this region often moved between towns to seek work in the textile industry or agriculture, the Fray name became established across the landscape of the Low Countries. By maintaining a presence in Flanders during this era, the family participated in a period of significant social change that shaped the identity of the region for generations to come.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Frater
Latin term meaning brother or member of a religious order.
This name
FrayA nickname for a friar or a person who acted in a brotherly manner.
also spelled
Fraye
Fray
Frayes
de Fray
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Pirenne, Henri, Histoire de Belgique, 1902
State Archives in Belgium, Parish Registers of the Diocese of Ghent, 1663
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mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
