Map of France showing where the Shmuley arms are recorded
The Shmuley arms were recorded in Lorraine, c. 1663.
Lorraine sat on the border between France and the German lands, and border country bred soldiers. Families here held small estates and served in arms, and a fighting man was exactly the sort who carried a shield of his own.
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 Shmuley 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 Lorraine.
Origin & History of the Shmuley Family in France
The family name Shmuley originates as a variation of the Hebrew name Shmuel, which translates to Samuel. By 1663, records confirm that members of the family were established in the Lorraine region of France. During this period, Jewish families in Lorraine often lived in small, tight-knit communities under the protection of local dukes. Because surnames were not always standardized at that time, the name likely evolved as a way to identify the family through their connection to a patriarch named Shmuel. As they lived in a border region between French and German cultures, the spelling of the name adapted to fit the linguistic patterns of the area. This transition reflects the broader history of Jewish families in Eastern France who maintained their religious identity while integrating into the local administrative systems of the seventeenth century.
Shmuley Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Shmuel
Hebrew for name of God or God has heard.
This name
ShmuleyA Yiddish diminutive form of Samuel, traditionally meaning one who is heard by God.
also spelled
Schamly
Schamlei
Schamleie
Shamley
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales de la Moselle, Série E (État civil et registres paroissiaux)
Archives départementales de Meurthe-et-Moselle, Série G (Clergé séculier et paroisses)
Brahms, Renée, Les Juifs de Lorraine au XVIIe siècle, 1984
Gutton, Jean-Pierre, La société et les gens en Lorraine, 1970
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
cross symbolChristian faith and service
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
cross symbolChristian faith and service
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
