A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Jelita family of Poland.
Reg. 8388 · Polish, J–L
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
lanceKnightly service and the tilt
Colours
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
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 trois lances de tournoi d'or, dont deux passées en saut., les pointes en haut, et la troisième br. en pal, la pointe en bas. Cq. cour. C.: un bouc iss. au nat., accorné de sa.”
Polandc. 1772
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Map of Poland showing where the Jelita arms are recorded
The Jelita 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 Jelita 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 Jelita 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 Jelita Family in Poland
The history of the Jelita family name is deeply rooted in the rural landscapes of the Mazovia region in central Poland. By the year 1772, records confirm that members of the family were already established within this area, living as part of the local community during a time of significant political change. The name itself carries a lyrical quality, as the word jelita historically relates to the Polish term for intestines or internal organs, though in a naming context, it often functioned as a descriptive nickname or a reference to a specific ancestral trait. Early generations of the family likely worked as independent farmers or small landowners, contributing to the agricultural development of the Mazovian plains. As they navigated the social structures of the late eighteenth century, the family became a quiet but persistent part of the regional identity, passing their name down through generations as they adapted to the shifting borders and cultural influences of their homeland.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Jelito
An archaic Polish term referring to the intestines or bowels.
This name
JelitaA descriptive nickname historically used to denote a person with a specific physical trait or constitution.
also spelled
Jelitta
Yelita
Related arms
Szydlowskisimilar arms
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych (Central Archives of Historical Records), Księgi metrykalne parafii rzymskokatolickich z terenu Mazowsza (Parish registers of Roman Catholic parishes in the Mazovia region)
Bystroń, Jan Stanisław, Nazwiska polskie (Polish Surnames), 1936
Kajkowski, Krzysztof, Historia osadnictwa na Mazowszu (History of settlement in Mazovia), 2005
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
lanceKnightly service and the tilt
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
lanceKnightly service and the tilt
