Map of Italy showing where the Matkovich arms are recorded
The Matkovich arms were recorded in Dalmatia, c. 1775.
Dalmatia was a string of walled towns along the Adriatic coast, each with its own leading families. Sea trade made them wealthy, and the towns kept lists of the houses entitled to arms.
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.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Italy in this period.
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
Sovereign of the period
Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo
1763–1778
Reigning in Italy when the Matkovich arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Italy
In the Italian states, coats of arms were often used by noble families to show their status and history. These symbols were passed down through the generations to all legitimate male descendants. Younger branches of a family usually kept the original design but sometimes added small changes to distinguish their specific line from the main branch.
Granting authority
Various local rulers and city governments controlled the use of coats of arms across the different Italian states.
How they got arms
Families often assumed their own arms or received them as official grants from local lords, popes, or city councils.
Where arms were recorded
Arms were recorded in local city archives or private family books rather than in one single national register.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Dalmatia.
Origin & History of the Matkovich Family in Italy
The surname Matkovich is a patronymic name, which means it was originally derived from the given name Matko, a common South Slavic variation of Matthew. By the late 18th century, families carrying this name were well-established in the Dalmatian region along the Adriatic coast. During this period, Dalmatia was a crossroads of culture under the influence of the Venetian Republic and the later Austrian Empire. Families like the Matkovich line often lived in coastal towns or rural inland areas where they participated in the local maritime trade, agriculture, or regional administration. Because the name is rooted in the personal name of an ancestor, it reflects a long-standing tradition of identifying family lineages through the first names of prominent patriarchs who lived in these historic Mediterranean communities.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Matthaeus
Derived from the Hebrew name Matityahu meaning gift of God.
This name
MatkovichA patronymic surname indicating descent from a person named Matthew.
also spelled
Metkovik
Metkovitch
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Finka, Božidar. Hrvatska prezimena. 1990
Šimunović, Petar. Hrvatska prezimena: podrijetlo, značenje, rasprostranjenost. 2006
State Archives in Zadar (Državni arhiv u Zadru), Matice krštenih (Baptismal Registers), 1775
Digital archive packCoat of arms PNG, gold border print PDF, vector SVG and the certificate of authenticity. Sent to your email in minutes.
fireZeal and purification
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
fireZeal and purification
bearStrength, cunning and protection of kin
