Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

List of Frankish Kings

The following list of Frankish Kings is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents.

The Frankish kingdoms were ruled by two main dynasties, the Merovingians (who established the realm) and later the Carolingians. A timeline of Frankish rulers is difficult since the realm was, according to old Germanic practice, frequently divided among the sons of a leader upon his death and then eventually reunited. For more detailed explanations, see the Franks article.

Table of contents
1 Merovingians
2 Carolingians
3 Related articles
4 For further reading

Merovingians

 

 

 

Merovech 447-458
   
Childeric I 458-481
   
Clovis I 481-511
Upon Clovis' death, the kingdom was split among his four sons.
   
Childebert I 511-558 (Paris)
   
Clotaire I 511-561 (Soissons)
   
Chlodomer 511-524 (Orleans)
   
Theuderic I 511-534 (Reims)
   
Theudebert I 534-548 (Reims)
   
Theudebald 548-555 (Reims)
   
Clotaire I 511-561
Clotaire (of Soissans) eventually took over the other three kingdoms after the deaths of his brothers (or their successors). After his own death, the kingdom was once again divided into Neustria (in the west), Burgundy, and Austrasia (in the east).
   
   
   
   
Clotaire II 584-629
   
Charibert II 629-632
   
Chilperic I 632
   
Dagobert I 632-639
   
   
  • Sigebert III 639-656 (Austrasia)
  • Dagobert II 656-661 (Austrasia)
   
Theuderic I 673, 679-691
   
   
Childeric II 673-675
   
Clovis II 675-676
   
Clovis III 691-695
   
Childebert II 695-711
   
Dagobert III 711-715
   
Chilperic II 715-720
   
Theuderic II 720-737
   
Childeric III 742-751
   

Carolingians

The Carolingians initially were Mayors of the Palace under Merovingian kings in the sub-kingdom of Neustria and later in the reunited Frankish realm:

When Pippin III became king, the Carolingians succeeded the Merovingian dynasty:

The Frankish kingdom was then divided with the Treaty of Verdun in 843 among the sons of Louis the Pious. The following table lists only the members of the Carolingian dynasty in the three subdivisions, which are the kernels of later France and the Holy Roman Empire, each with different ruling dynasties.

 

West Franks (eventually France)
   
Lotharingia
   
East Franks (to become the Holy Roman Empire)
   
Names marked (*) are Robertians and (**) are from the house of Boso -- both were distantly related to the Carolingians.

After this, the Capetian dynasty ruled France. For the continuation, see the list of French monarchs.
   
  • Lothar 795-855, Emperor 817-855
  • Louis II, (825-875), 825-875, Emperor 855-875
  • Lothar II 835-869
  • Zwentibold 870/1-900 son of Arnulf of Carinthia by a concubine

Louis II had only daughters, one of whom, Ermengard, married Boso of Provence, thus providing the family connection for Rudolph of Burgundy's claim to the throne.
   
After this, Conrad of Franconia ruled from 911-918, and was followed by the Saxon (Ottonian) kings, which is commonly considered the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire. For the continuation, see the list of German Kings and Emperors.
   

Related articles

For further reading