A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Kurkowski family of Poland.
Reg. 9684 · Polish, J–L
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
bullValour and generosity
swordJustice, and military honour
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Black (Sable)Means: Constancy
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 un rencontre de boeuf de sa., le front traversé, entre les cornes, d'une épée d'arg., en bande, la pointe en bas. Cq. cour. C.: un bras, arm. d'arg., brandissant une épée du même. L. d'azur et de sa.”
Polandc. 1725
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 Kurkowski arms are recorded
The Kurkowski arms were recorded in Poland, c. 1725.
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
1725
Granting Authority for the Kurkowski 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.
Augustus II the Strong
Sovereign of the period
Augustus II the Strong
1709–1733
Reigning in Poland when the Kurkowski 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 Kurkowski Family in Poland
The surname Kurkowski is a classic example of a Polish habitational name, which means it was originally derived from the name of a specific village or town. Families who carried this name typically hailed from a place called Kurkowo or a similar variation within the region of Mazovia. By the year 1725, records confirm that members of the Kurkowski family were firmly established in this central Polish province. During this period, Mazovia was a hub of agricultural life and local nobility, and families often adopted surnames based on the land they cultivated or owned. Because the name is linked to a geographic location, it suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely landowners or prominent residents of a village that shared their name. Over time, as family members moved to different towns for work or marriage, they carried the name with them, helping it spread throughout the region while maintaining a connection to their ancestral roots in the Mazovian landscape.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
kur
A Polish term referring to a rooster or male chicken.
This name
KurkowskiA topographic or habitational name for someone living near a place associated with roosters.
also spelled
Krukowsky
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Krzysztof Kwaśniewski, Atlas nazwisk Polski, 1997
Kazimierz Rymut, Nazwiska Polaków: Słownik historyczno-etymologiczny, 1999
Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych (Central Archives of Historical Records), Księgi metrykalne parafii mazowieckich (Parish registers of Mazovia)
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
bullValour and generosity
swordJustice, and military honour
bullValour and generosity
swordJustice, and military honour
