A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Emme family of Poland.
Reg. 0099 · Polish, D–F
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Parti: au 1 d'arg. à une demi-fleur-de-lis d'azur, mouv. du parti; au 2 d'or à la fasce de sa. Deux cq. cour. C.: 1° un bouc iss. et cont. d'arg.; 1. d'arg. et d'azur; 2° une fleur-de-lis d'azur; 1. d'or et de sa.”
LivoniaEsthonie · Livonia, c. 1764
Where the Emme Arms Were Recorded
Map of Poland showing where the Emme arms are recorded
The Emme arms were recorded in Livonia, c. 1764.
Livonia was Baltic country held by a small number of landed families who kept their estates for centuries. Land there passed down whole rather than being divided, and long unbroken tenure is what fills a register.
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
Livonia
Town
Esthonie
First recorded
1764
Granting Authority for the Emme 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 Emme 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 Livonia.
Origin & History of the Emme Family in Poland
The surname Emme traces its roots to the Baltic region, where the family established a documented presence in Livonia by 1764. During this period, Livonia was a territory defined by a complex mix of German, Baltic, and Russian cultural influences. The name likely originated as a short form or a nickname derived from Germanic personal names starting with the element "ermin," which translates to "whole" or "universal." As families in this region began to adopt fixed surnames to satisfy administrative requirements for tax records and church registries, the name Emme became a way to identify specific households within the local community. By the mid-18th century, members of the family were integrated into the social and economic fabric of the Baltic provinces, often appearing in regional census documents and parish registers that tracked the movement of people across the changing borders of the era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Irmin
A Germanic name element meaning whole, entire, or universal.
This name
EmmeA diminutive form derived from names containing the element Irmin, signifying completeness or greatness.
also spelled
Em
Related arms
Boutinsimilar arms
Bozzasimilar arms
Cottinsimilar arms
Erilsimilar arms
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Estonian Historical Archive (Eesti Ajalooarhiiv), Livländische Gouvernements-Regierung (Livonian Provincial Government) records
Latvian State Historical Archives (Latvijas Valsts vēstures arhīvs), Vidzemes draudžu reģistri (Livonian Parish Registers)
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1967
Mielke, Robert, Die deutschen Familiennamen im Baltikum, 1927
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
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
fessThe military belt, and readiness to serve
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
