The Potocki family originated from the small village of
Potok Wielki; their family name derives from that place name. The family contributed to the cultural development and history of Poland's
Eastern Borderlands (today Western Ukraine). The family is renowned for numerous Polish statesmen, military leaders, and cultural activists.
The first known Potocki was Żyrosław z Potoka (born about 1136). The children of his son Aleksander (~1167)
castelan of
Sandomierz, were progenitors of new noble families such as the Moskorzewskis, Stanisławskis, Tworowskis, Borowskis, and Stosłowskis.
Jakub Potocki (c. 1481–1551) was the progenitor of the
magnate line of the Potocki family.
The magnate line split into three primary lineages, called:
"Linia hetmańska" ("Srebrna Pilawa"), in English: "
Hetman's lineage" ("Silver Pilawa"). Note some sources refer to Pilawa as Piława.
In 1631
Stefan Potocki, who started the "Złota Pilawa" lineage, died and was buried in
Zolotyi Potik (pl. Złoty Potok, Golden Potok, a village owned by this lineage), his descendants started to use the
Pilawa coat of arms in golden colour. Because of that the lineage is called the "Złota Pilawa" (Golden Piława).
Count
Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk (1902–1997), an accomplished New Zealand poet, has been erroneously described as a "feigned member" of the Pilawa Potocki family. In fact, he is a direct descendant of the Bocki Potocki line, until recently believed to have died out with the death of Count Jozef Franciszek Jan Potocki, his great-grandfather, in Paris.[citation needed]
Purported members
Avraham ben Avraham, birth name Valentin Potocki. Purportedly converted to
Judaism, moved to
Vilna to hide his identity but was executed for heresy on May 23, 1749 (the second day of the Jewish holiday of
Shavuot). His remains are believed to have been secretly buried next to the
Vilna Gaon, with a monument to that effect first erected in 1927. Though his existence is generally accepted among Orthodox Jews, many secular scholars contest his existence due to a lack of primary sources. He was first mentioned in writing by Rabbi
Yaakov Emden in 1755, six years after he would have died.
Maria Patocka: said to be the mother of Crimean khan
Adil Giray.
Coat of arms and motto
The Potocki family used the
Piława coat of arms, and their motto was Scutum opponebat scuto (Latin for "Shield opposing shield"; literally "He opposed shield to shield").