A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Polish family of France.
Reg. 0335 · French, P–S
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
mountThe ground held, and steadfastness upon it
branchPeace, and new growth
peacockBeauty, power and knowledge
Colours
Green (Vert)Means: Hope
Gold (Or)Means: Generosity
Historical info
Source
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“De sin. à un brin d'estoc d'or, en pal. accosté de deux paons affr. du même. - Ou: D'arg. à un brin d'estoc au nat., en pal, accosté de deux combattants (oiseaux) affr. au nat., posés chacun sur une terrasse isolée de sin. C.: un paon au nat., entre un vol.”
FranceHolt, c. 1725
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Map of France showing where the Polish arms are recorded
The Polish arms were recorded in Holt, c. 1725.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in Bretagne.
More families held coats of arms in Bretagne than anywhere else in France. The land was divided into many small estates rather than a few large ones, so far more households counted as gentry, and each needed a shield of its own to be told apart.
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 France in this period.
Louis XV of France
Sovereign of the period
Louis XV of France
1715–1774
Reigning in France when the Polish arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in France
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
Granting authority
The Juge d'armes de France acted as the official authority that regulated and verified coats of arms across the country.
How they got arms
Families typically inherited their arms from ancestors, though they could also receive them through royal grants or by proving their noble status.
Where arms were recorded
Coats of arms were officially recorded in the Armorial Général de France, which began its main collection in the year 1696.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of France.
Origin & History of the Polish Family in France
The surname Polish carries a history deeply rooted in the cultural landscape of western France. By 1725, records confirm that families bearing this name were established in the region of Bretagne. During this era, surnames often evolved from nicknames, occupations, or geographic identifiers to help distinguish individuals within growing rural communities. In the context of Bretagne, the name likely served as a way to identify families who had either traveled from distant lands or maintained specific connections to foreign trade routes. As these early ancestors settled into the local parish life, the name became a permanent marker of their lineage. Over the following generations, the family integrated into the social fabric of the province, leaving behind a legacy that reflects the movement and identity of people living in eighteenth-century France.
Polish Meaning & Related Branches
Root word
Polonus
Latin term referring to a person from the land of Poland.
This name
PolishAn ethnic or habitational surname identifying an individual who originated from Poland.
also spelled
Polz
Polls
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Archives départementales du Morbihan, Registres paroissiaux et d'état civil
Archives départementales du Finistère, Collection de la série B
Dauzat, Albert, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France, 1951
Morlet, Marie-Thérèse, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille, 1991
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