A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Geralt family of Poland.
Reg. 8406 · Polish, G–I
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cross symbolChristian faith and service
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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)
“D'azur à la croix alésée d'arg., chaque bras orné à son extrémité d'une boule d'or. Cq. cour. C.: un coq de bruyère, au nat., le vol levé.”
Polandc. 1772
Where the Geralt Arms Were Recorded
Mazovia
Map of Poland showing where the Geralt arms are recorded
The Geralt arms were recorded in Poland, c. 1772.
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
1772
Granting Authority for the Geralt 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 Geralt 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 Geralt Family in Poland
The family name Geralt finds its historical roots in the Mazovia region of Poland, where records confirm the presence of family members by 1772. The name itself is derived from the Old Germanic personal name Gerwald, which combines the elements for spear and rule. Over many centuries, this name traveled from Germanic lands into Slavic territories, eventually evolving into the localized form found in Polish records. Families bearing this name in the eighteenth century were typically part of the local social fabric in Mazovia, often living as landholders or participants in the rural economy of the Vistula River basin. By the late 1700s, the name was well-established within the administrative districts of the region, reflecting a long history of settlement and integration into the local community.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Gerhard
Derived from Germanic elements meaning spear and hardy or brave.
This name
GeraltA Polish adaptation of the Germanic name signifying a brave spear warrior.
also spelled
Geralt
Gerard
Jerald
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Krzysztof Górski, Pomorze w dobie średniowiecza, 1949
Kazimierz Rymut, Nazwiska Polaków: Słownik historyczno-etymologiczny, 1999
Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych w Warszawie (Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw), Księgi metrykalne parafii rzymskokatolickich z terenu Mazowsza (Parish registers of Roman Catholic parishes from the Mazovia region)
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cross symbolChristian faith and service
cross symbolChristian faith and service
