Coat of Arms & Family Crests Store
Zachow Coat of Arms / Zachow Family CrestThis Jewish, Polish and Czech name of ZACHOW was from the Hebrew male given name ZECHARYA, composed of the elements 'zachar' to remember and 'ya' meaning God. The name was borne by a biblical prophet and by the father of John the Baptist, and for that reason it achieved a modest popularity among Gentiles during the Middle Ages. The name has always been popular among Jews. The name has many variant spellings which include ZACHARIA, ZACHARIAZ, ZACHARIASH and ZACHARSKI. The modern state of Czechoslovakia is going through a transitional phase as a result of the fall of the Iron Curtain. Its various regions encompassed the medieval provinces of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia. The first two of these, where the language properly called Czech is spoken, were heavily subject to German cultural and linguistic influence from the Middle Ages onwards, being administratively a Crownland of Austria for much of the time until independence in 1918. This influence is reflected in the many Czech surnames derived from German, both from given names, and from vocabulary words. Occupational names are quite common in Czech as are nicknames, especially those referring to some physical feature. Many of the most common Czech surnames have the diminutive ending 'CEK', which is often found attached to these names. A notable member of the name was St. ZACHARIAS (died 752) the Greek prelate, born in Calabria. He was pope from 741 to 752. The lion depicted in the arms is the noblest of all wild beasts which is made to be the emblem of strength and valour, and is on that account the most frequently borne in Coat-Armour. In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armoured warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe. The name arrived early in the United States where it is a short form of the name Zachary. |
