My last name is Gagajewski and I'm looking for my family crest but only found one for Gajewski so far!. Are the family crests the same!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
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Position:Home>Genealogy> Are these Polish family crests the same?Question: Are these Polish family crests the same!? My last name is Gagajewski and I'm looking for my family crest but only found one for Gajewski so far!. Are the family crests the same!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: In Poland only dynastic familes have coat of arms!. A crest is merely a part of a coat of arms!. Actually Poland is one of the few countries in Europe where a family has a coat of arms!. Peddlers who sell coats of arms on the internet, at shopping malls, in airpots, in magazines or solicit by mail sell them like they belong to surnames and they don't!. So if you have a school assignment asking you to find your "family crest" it is an erroneous assigment because there is no such thing!. A person can design their own coat of arms if they want to but what is being sold is by so called bucket shops are not being sold validly!. Whenever you see one of those little walnut plaques with a coat of arms on it, what the person is displaying is one that was granted to someone with their surname and very likely isn't even related!. The family history that comes with it will not belong to everyone with that surname!. There is no heraldry authority in the U!.S!. Therefore these merchants of deceit take advantage of people!. Www@QuestionHome@Com The surname Gajewski points to the Jelita Clan of Poland which dates to 1316!. The clan shield has three crossed lances on a red field!. Descendants of Gajewski clansmen did use these arms, according to first website below!. I cannot find your surname listed among those who are associated with this clan!. If it was AND your genealogy checks out, you may be entitled by Polish heraldic tradition to use these arms!. Polish heraldic tradition differs from most European practices because it allows a range of unrelated people to bear the same arms!. I would suggest you prepare your male-line genealogy and then contact an expert in Polish Heraldry!. The last two links are possible contacts!. Your question: Are the arms of Gajewski of Jelita the same as your arms!? The answer is probably not, and there is a possibility your ancestors did not have arms!. But it is worth more research!. Who knows!? Gagajewski may be a variant spelling and your genealogical research might connect you to an armiger!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |