Show ContentsCardenal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The French name Cardenal has a history dating as far back as the Middle Ages. This history is intrinsically entwined with that region known as Languedoc, for it was derived from when the Cardenal family lived in Languedoc. But the name may have been of nickname origin too. In this case, it may have been given to someone who habitually wore red, the color of the vestments worn by cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church.

Early Origins of the Cardenal family

The surname Cardenal was first found in Languedoc, where the family held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Cardenal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cardenal research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1235, 1271, 1303 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Cardenal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cardenal Spelling Variations

History has changed the spelling of most surnames. During the early development of the French language in the Middle Ages, a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there spelling variations of the name Cardenal, some of which include Cardinal, Chardinal, Cardinel, Cardonal, Cardonel, Chardonel, Cardenal, Cardenil, Cardinale, Cardinall, Cardinalle, Cardonall, Cardonale, Cardonalle, Cardonell, Cardonelle, Cardonele, Cardonnal, Chardinnal, Cardinnel, Cardonnal, Cardonnel, Cardennal, Cardennil, Cardinnale, Cardinnall, Cardinnalle, Cardonnall, Cardonnale, Cardonnalle, Cardonnell, Cardonnelle and many more.

Early Notables of the Cardenal family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Adam de Cardonnel (d. 1719), Secretary to the Duke of Marlborough, a son of Adam de Cardonnel, a...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cardenal Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Cardenal migration to the United States +

Immigration to New France was slow; therefore, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Cardenal has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Cardenal were

Cardenal Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Alonso Cardenal, went to America in 1516
Cardenal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alonso Cardenal, who arrived in America in 1816 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name Cardenal (post 1700) +

  • Fernando Cardenal Martínez (1934-2016), Nicaraguan Jesuit and liberation theologian
  • Ernesto Cardenal, Nicaraguan poet and literary critic
  • Salvador Cardenal y Fernández, Spanish physician


The Cardenal Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: L'âme et L'honneur
Motto Translation: My Soul and Honor


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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