Map of France showing where the Salaun arms are recorded
The Salaun arms were recorded in Bretagne, c. 1663.
More families held coats of arms in Bretagne than anywhere else in France. The land was divided into many small estates rather than a few large ones, so far more households counted as gentry, and each needed a shield of its own to be told apart.
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 Salaun 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 Bretagne.
Origin & History of the Salaun Family in France
The surname Salaun is deeply rooted in the history of Brittany, a region in northwestern France known for its distinct Celtic heritage. The name is derived from the Breton word for "silent" or "mute," which likely served as a descriptive nickname for an ancestor before it became a permanent family identifier. By 1663, records confirm that families bearing this name were well-established within the Breton social fabric. During this period, the Salaun family lived in a society shaped by the Breton language and strong local traditions. They were typically part of the rural or merchant classes who worked the land or participated in the maritime trade that defined the coastal economy of the region. Because Brittany maintained a unique cultural identity separate from the rest of France for centuries, the family name reflects the linguistic evolution of the Breton people and their long-standing connection to their ancestral territory.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Salomon
Derived from the Hebrew word for peace.
This name
SalaunA Breton diminutive form of Solomon, historically signifying a peaceful or tranquil individual.
also spelled
Salaun Lesven
Salaun de Lesvaine
Salaun Lesvaine
Salaun
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Deshayes, Albert, Dictionnaire des noms de famille bretons, 1995
Tanguy, Bernard, Dictionnaire des noms de communes, trèves et paroisses du Finistère, 1990
Archives départementales du Finistère, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
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boars headA fierce fighter who battles to the end
boars headA fierce fighter who battles to the end
