Map of France showing where the Meola arms are recorded
The Meola arms were recorded in Franche-Comte, c. 1663.
Franche-Comte sat between France and the Empire and changed hands more than once. Border families held their land under arms and expected to defend it, so a shield was a practical thing rather than an ornament.
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 Meola 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 Franche-Comte.
Origin & History of the Meola Family in France
The family name Meola has deep roots that connect to the Franche-Comté region of eastern France by the mid-seventeenth century. Historical records confirm that members of the family were established in this area by 1663, a time when the region was transitioning between Spanish and French control. The name itself likely evolved from local linguistic patterns in the borderlands, where families often adapted their surnames to reflect their specific village or trade. Because Franche-Comté served as a crossroads for travelers and merchants moving between the Swiss cantons and the French interior, the Meola family likely participated in the agricultural and craft-based economy that defined life in the Jura Mountains. Over generations, these early ancestors helped shape the social fabric of their local parishes, leaving behind a legacy that is preserved in the regional tax and church registers of the era.
Meola Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Miol
Derived from the Old French word for millet or grain.
This name
MeolaA topographical or occupational name referring to a person who grew or traded millet.
also spelled
Mollay
Molai
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives Départementales du Doubs, Série B: Cours et juridictions
Fohlen, Claude, Histoire de Besançon, 1964
Gauthier, Jules, Dictionnaire des communes du département du Doubs, 1886
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
orlePreservation, and protection in battle
martletA younger son, who must win his own land
orlePreservation, and protection in battle
martletA younger son, who must win his own land
