A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Karczewski family of Poland.
Reg. 6880 · Polish, J–L
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
cross symbolChristian faith and service
arms pheon arrowheadReadiness for battle, and the broad arrow of the sovereign
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 deux pals alésés, réunis en haut par une traverse; et un pairle alésé, br. sur le tout, le pied terminé en fer de flèche; le tout d'arg. Cq. cour. C.: un corbeau de sa., tenant en son bec une bague d'or, châtonnée d'un rubis.”
Polandc. 1772
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
Map of Poland showing where the Karczewski arms are recorded
The Karczewski 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 Karczewski 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 Karczewski 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 Karczewski Family in Poland
The surname Karczewski is a locative name, meaning it was originally derived from the name of a specific place where the family lived. In Polish, the root word "karcz" refers to a cleared area of forest or a stump, suggesting that the earliest ancestors likely settled in a region that required significant land clearing to establish a farm or village. By 1772, historical records confirm that the family was well-established in the Mazovia region of Poland. During this period, Mazovia was a central hub for the Polish nobility and landowning families, and the Karczewski name was closely tied to the rural landscape of the area. As the family grew, they became part of the local social fabric, often working the land or managing estates within the fertile plains of central Poland.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
karcz
A clearing in a forest or a place where trees were felled.
This name
KarczewskiRefers to a person who lived in or originated from a cleared forest area.
also spelled
Krzyczewsky
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bieńkowski, Wiesław, Słownik historyczno-geograficzny ziem polskich w średniowieczu, 1982
Rymut, Kazimierz, Nazwiska Polaków: słownik historyczno-etymologiczny, 1999
Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych w Warszawie, Księgi grodzkie i ziemskie mazowieckie
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
cross symbolChristian faith and service
arms pheon arrowheadReadiness for battle, and the broad arrow of the sovereign
paleMilitary strength, and a fortified defence
cross symbolChristian faith and service
arms pheon arrowheadReadiness for battle, and the broad arrow of the sovereign
