The Joly Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Joly, its origins in France, and the story behind a Joly family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Joly coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Joly name
Joly comes from Old French jolif, joli, "merry, cheerful, pleasant", a nickname for a lively, good-humoured person. Such nicknames for character were very common in medieval France. The surname is widespread across the country and is also common in Belgium and Quebec.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Joly name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Joly name in France. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Canada, Belgium and Switzerland; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Joly family history
The complete Joly pack goes much further: documented origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Joly name FAQ
What does the Joly name mean?
Merry, cheerful. Common variants include Joli, Jolly, Jolivet.
Where does the Joly surname come from?
It originates in France, and is also found in Canada, Belgium and Switzerland.
Is there a Joly coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Joly crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Joly coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Albert Dauzat & Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).