Show ContentsCaules History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Caules surname is an old Norman name, derived from the French word "cale" which was a close fitting cap worn by women of the times.

Early Origins of the Caules family

The surname Caules was first found in Wiltshire, where a Swanus Calle is on record in the Rotuli Hundredorum (the Hundredorum Rolls) in 1275. In 1279, John Calle was recorded in Cambridgeshire, in that same collection of documents.

Early History of the Caules family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caules research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1307 is included under the topic Early Caules History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caules Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Call, Calle, Calles, Caules and others.

Early Notables of the Caules family

More information is included under the topic Early Caules Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Caules family to Ireland

Some of the Caules family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Caules migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Caules or a variant listed above were:

Caules Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Caules, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 1


The Caules 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: Grata manu
Motto Translation: With a grateful hand.


  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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook