A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Pilawa family of Poland.
Reg. 8312 · Polish, P–S
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
cross symbolChristian faith and service
Colours
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
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 une croix alésée de trois traverses d'arg., à laquelle manque le bras inférieur à dextre. Cq. cour. C.: cinq pl. d'aut., alt. d'azur et d'arg.”
Polandc. 1772
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Map of Poland showing where the Pilawa arms are recorded
The Pilawa 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 Pilawa 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 Pilawa 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 Pilawa Family in Poland
The Pilawa family name is deeply rooted in the historical landscape of the Mazovia region in central Poland. By the year 1772, records confirm that members of the family were well-established in this area, which served as a central hub for Polish culture and administration. The name itself is thought to be linked to the geography of the region, as it reflects the naming patterns common among families living near the Pilawa River. During the eighteenth century, families in Mazovia often lived as part of a structured social hierarchy where land ownership and local community ties defined their daily lives. The presence of the family in this specific territory suggests they were part of the regional development that shaped the social fabric of the Polish heartland long before the modern era.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
piła
A hand saw or a cutting tool used in carpentry.
This name
PilawaRefers to a person who worked as a sawyer or lived near a sawmill.
also spelled
Pilawe
Pilava
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Gloger, Zygmunt. Geografia historyczna ziem dawnej Polski. 1903
Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw (Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych), Księgi grodzkie warszawskie
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cross symbolChristian faith and service
cross symbolChristian faith and service
