Map of Poland showing where the Koziel arms are recorded
The Koziel 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 Koziel 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 Koziel 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 Koziel Family in Poland
The family name Koziel originates from the Slavic root word koza, which translates to goat. In the historical context of the Polish language, this name likely began as a descriptive nickname for an ancestor who raised goats or perhaps possessed traits associated with the animal. By the year 1772, records confirm that the Koziel family was well established in the Mazovia region of central Poland. During this era, Mazovia was a center of agricultural activity and local trade, providing a stable environment for families to grow and pass down their surnames through generations. As the family lived in this specific area, they became part of the local social fabric, contributing to the rural and village life that defined the Mazovian landscape before the major political shifts of the late eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Koza
A domestic animal of the genus Capra, commonly known as a goat.
This name
KozielA diminutive or patronymic form referring to someone associated with goats or goat-herding.
also spelled
Koziel
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Krzysztof Rymut, Nazwiska Polaków: Słownik historyczno-etymologiczny, 1999
Kazimierz Rymut, Słownik nazwisk używanych w Polsce na początku XXI wieku, 2003
Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych w Warszawie, Księgi metrykalne parafii rzymskokatolickich z terenu Mazowsza
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
goatOne who wins by diplomacy rather than force
goatOne who wins by diplomacy rather than force
