Map of Poland showing where the Rola arms are recorded
The Rola 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 Rola 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 Rola 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 Rola Family in Poland
The history of the Rola family is deeply connected to the rural landscape of the Mazovia region in central Poland. By the year 1772, records confirm that members of the family were well-established as landowners and active participants in the local community. During this period, Mazovia served as a vital agricultural hub, and families like the Rolas often played essential roles in managing the land and maintaining the social structure of their villages. The name itself is thought to be derived from the Polish word for a field or a plow, which suggests that the earliest ancestors were likely farmers or settlers who cleared the land to build their homes. Over generations, these families became deeply rooted in the soil of the region, passing down their traditions and their name as they navigated the complex political shifts occurring in Poland during the late eighteenth century.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
rola
A piece of land or a field used for agricultural cultivation.
This name
RolaRefers to a person who worked on or owned a plot of farmland.
also spelled
Rollah
Rolah
Rolla
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
swordJustice, and military honour
roseThe seventh son, and beauty with grace
swordJustice, and military honour
