A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Adamowicz family of Poland.
Reg. 2904 · Polish, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De gu. à une flèche, en pal, posée à dextre, surm. d'un croiss. versé; et une étoile, posée à sen.; le tout d'arg. C.: un vol d'arg.”
CourlandCourland, c. 1772
Where the Adamowicz Arms Were Recorded
Map of Poland showing where the Adamowicz arms are recorded
The Adamowicz arms were recorded in Courland, c. 1772.
Courland was Baltic coast country held in large estates by a small number of families. They kept their land for generations and served as officers abroad, and both landholding and service brought arms with them.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
Region
Courland
First recorded
1772
Granting Authority for the Adamowicz Arms
Ennoblement by the Sejm
Author: Olek Remesz · CC BY-SA 3.0
The body that granted and recorded arms in Poland in this period.
Stanisław August Poniatowski
Sovereign of the period
Stanisław August Poniatowski
1764–1795
Reigning in Poland when the Adamowicz arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Poland
Polish noble families shared a single coat of arms across many different surnames, creating large clans rather than individual designs. These symbols were held collectively by all members of the clan regardless of their specific family name. When a new family joined the nobility, they were adopted into an existing clan and began using that group's established shield.
Granting authority
The Sejm, which was the Polish parliament, held the power to grant noble status and the right to bear arms.
How they got arms
Families typically received their coat of arms through a formal act of ennoblement granted by the Sejm for distinguished service.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Crown Metrica, which served as the central archive for state documents starting in the sixteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Courland.
Origin & History of the Adamowicz Family in Poland
The surname Adamowicz is a patronymic name, which means it was originally created by adding a suffix to the given name Adam. In the Polish and Baltic naming traditions, the suffix "owicz" indicates that the person was the son of someone named Adam. By the year 1772, records confirm that families bearing this name were well established in the region of Courland, which is located in modern-day Latvia. At that time, Courland was a duchy with a complex social structure influenced by both Polish and German cultures. Families like the Adamowicz line often lived in these borderlands where they navigated shifting political boundaries and local land laws. Because the name is rooted in a common biblical first name, it likely emerged independently in several places before becoming a fixed family surname passed down through generations.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Adam
Hebrew for man or earth, derived from the word for red clay.
This name
AdamowiczA patronymic surname meaning son of Adam, indicating descent from an ancestor named Adam.
also spelled
Adamowicz dit Adam
Adamowich dit Adam
Adamovits dit Adam
Adamowicz
Adamovich
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Dziadulewicz, Włodzimierz, Herbarz rodzin tatarskich w Polsce, 1929
Kopczyński, Michał, Studia nad rodziną w dawnej Polsce, 2005
Latvian State Historical Archives, Courland Nobility Records (Kurzemes bruņniecības arhīvs)
Lithuanian State Historical Archives, Metrica of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Vyriausiasis Tribunolas)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
