Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à la fasce de sa., acc. de trois molettes du même, rangées en chef.”
A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Goul family of France.
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à la fasce de sa., acc. de trois molettes du même, rangées en chef.”
The Goul arms were recorded in Beauvoisis, 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.
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.
The family name Goul has deep roots in the Beauvoisis region of northern France, where records confirm members of the family were firmly established by 1663. During the seventeenth century, this area was a center for agricultural production and textile manufacturing, which likely shaped the daily lives and occupations of early family members. The name itself is thought to be a variation of older regional terms, potentially linked to local nicknames or geographical markers common in the Picardy dialect of that era. As residents of the Beauvoisis, the Goul family lived through a period of significant social change under the reign of King Louis XIV, when the French state began to exert more control over rural provinces. By maintaining their presence in this specific territory, the early Goul family helped contribute to the long-standing cultural and social identity of the region.
Derived from Germanic elements meaning good and ruler or power.
