Charles VII declared Joan of Arc’s family noble after her military successes.
In December 1429, Charles granted nobility to Joan, her parents, and her siblings. The grant recognized Joan’s service to the French monarchy and extended hereditary privileges to her family. The family was associated with the name du Lys after receiving this honor.
The ennoblement was unusual because Joan came from a rural farming family rather than the traditional warrior aristocracy. It reflected the symbolic importance of her role in restoring confidence in Charles’s claim to the French crown.
Joan did not survive long after the grant. She was captured in 1430 and executed in 1431, while the family’s noble status continued to have legal and social significance. This honor should not be confused with a modern hereditary surname: medieval naming practices were flexible, and du Lys was connected with the royal grant.