Title of the eldest son of a king of France, the heir apparent to the French crown, from 1350 to 1830.
Derived from a personal name, dauphin was originally used as a title in the 12th century by French counts in Auvergne and Vienne. The title came to the French crown through the purchase of lands known as the Dauphiné in 1349 by Philip VI , who bestowed it on his grandson, the future Charles V . Dauphin came to designate the heir apparent during the reign of Charles V, who gave his son, Charles VI , the title and the Dauphiné.