A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Dembowski family of Poland.
Reg. 0809 · Polish, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
heartSincerity, charity and true affection
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
Colours
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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)
“Coupé de sa. sur sin.; à un coeur d'or, br. sur le coupé et percé de deux flèches d'arg. en fasces, opposées.”
Polandc. 1725
Where the Dembowski Arms Were Recorded
Mazovia
Map of Poland showing where the Dembowski arms are recorded
The Dembowski arms were recorded in Poland, c. 1725.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Mazovia.
Mazovia held Warsaw, the Polish court and the assemblies where the szlachta met. Poland's nobles were unusually numerous and every one of them bore arms, and Warsaw is where those arms were argued over and recorded.
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
Mazovia
First recorded
1725
Granting Authority for the Dembowski 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.
Augustus II the Strong
Sovereign of the period
Augustus II the Strong
1709–1733
Reigning in Poland when the Dembowski 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 Poland.
Origin & History of the Dembowski Family in Poland
The Dembowski family name is rooted in the historical region of Mazovia, where members of the family were firmly established by the early eighteenth century. The name itself is a locative surname, which means it was originally derived from a specific place name, likely a village or estate known as Dembowo or Dębowo. In the Polish language, this root word refers to the oak tree, suggesting that the family’s ancestral lands were once characterized by dense oak forests. By 1725, the family had become part of the local social fabric in Mazovia, participating in the regional life and land management typical of the era. As the family grew, they maintained deep ties to this central Polish territory, using their name to signify their connection to their specific home region and its natural landscape.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Dąb
A deciduous tree belonging to the genus Quercus, symbolizing strength.
This name
DembowskiA topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or in an oak forest.
also spelled
Dembowsky
Dembowsk
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Boniecki, Adam. Herbarz polski: wiadomości historyczno-genealogiczne o rodach szlacheckich. 1902
Niesiecki, Kasper. Herbarz Polski. 1839
Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych (Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw), Metryki Koronne (Crown Registers)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
heartSincerity, charity and true affection
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
heartSincerity, charity and true affection
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
