List of Frankish Kings

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).
Charibert I 561-567 (Neustria) Chilperic I 567-584 (Neustria)		Guntram 561-592 (Burgundy)	Sigebert I 561-575 (Austrasia) Childebert II, (570-595), 575-595 (Austrasia) Theudebert II 595-612 (Austrasia) Theuderic II 612-613 (Austrasia) Sigebert II 613 (Austrasia)
Clotaire II 584-629
Charibert II 629-632
Chilperic I 632
Dagobert I 632-639
Clovis II 639-658 (Neustria) Clotaire III, (652-673), 658-673 (Neustria)		Sigebert III 639-656 (Austrasia) Dagobert II 656-661 (Austrasia)
Theuderic I 673, 679-691
		Dagobert II 676-679 (Austrasia)
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:

• Arnulf of Metz
• Pippin of Landen, (580-640), or Pippin I, the Elder* 628-639
• Pippin of Herstal, (640-714), or Pippin II* 687-714
• Charles Martel, (690-724), * 714-741
• Carloman, (716-754), * 741-747
• Pippin III, (714-768), the Short* 747-751

• Pippin the Short, (714-768), 751-768
• Carloman 768-771
• Charlemagne, (742-814), 771-814
• Louis the Pious, (AD 778-840), 814-840

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. Charles the Bald, (823-877), 843-877 Emp. 875 Louis the Stammerer, (846-879), 877-879 Carloman, King of the West Franks, (died 884), 879-884 (South) Charles the Fat 884-887 Germany 876-887 Emp. 881 Odo, Count of Paris, (died 866), * 888-898 Charles the Simple, (879-929), 898-922 Robert, (865-923), * 922-923 Rudolph, Duke of Burgundy** 923-936 Louis IV, (914-984), 936-954 Lothar 954-986 Louis V, the Indolent 986-987 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.	Louis the German, (804-876), 843-876 Carloman (830-880) (Bavaria) Louis III 876-882(North) Charles the Fat 876-887 (South, then all) Emp. 881 Arnulf of Carinthia 887-899 Emp. 896 Louis the Child, (893-911), 899-911 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

• Franks (main history of Frankish kingdoms)

For further reading

• The history of France as recounted in the "Grandes Chroniques de France," and particularly in the personal copy produced for King Charles V between 1370 and 1380 that is the saga of the three great dynasties, the Merovingians, Carolingians, and the Capetian Rulers of France, that shaped the institutions and the frontiers of the realm. This document was produced and likely commissioned during the Hundred Years' War, a dynastic struggle between the rulers of France and England with rival claims to the French throne. It should therefore be read and considered carefully as a source, due to the inherent bias in the context of its origins.
• The Cambridge Illustrated History of France - Cambridge University Press
• The Origins of France: Clovis to the Capetians 500-1000 by Edward James ISBN 0333270525
• Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography, 640-720 (Manchester Medieval Sources); Paul Fouracre (Editor), Richard A. Gerberding (Editor)ISBN 0719047919
• Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Merovingian Dynasty: [1].
• Medieval France: An Encyclopedia , eds. W. Kibler and G. Zinn. New York: Garland Publishing, 1995.