The Potocki family originated from Potok in the Kraków Voivodeship; their family name derives from that place name. The family contributed to the cultural development and history of Poland's Eastern Borderlands. The family is renowned for numerous Polish statesmen, military leaders, and cultural activists. The first known Potocki was Żyrosław z Potoka. The children of his son Aleksander castelan of Sandomierz, were progenitors of new noble families such as the Moskorzewskis, Stanisławskis, Tworowskis, Borkowskis, and Stosłowskis. Jakub Potocki was the progenitor of the magnate line of the Potocki family, with descendants living today, including those living in America. The magnate line split into three primary lineages, called:
"Linia hetmańska", in English: "Hetman's lineage". Note some sources refer to Pilawa as Piława.
"Linia Prymasowa", in English: "Primate's lineage"
"Żelazna Pilawa", considered the oldest ones, in English: "Iron Pilawa"
The "Złota Pilawa" line received the title of count from the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 1606. The entire family began using the Count title after the partitions of Poland. The title was recognized 1777 and 1784 in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria and 1838, 1843, 1859, 1890 1903 in Russia and 1889 by the Pope and in the Kingdom of Poland. In 1631 Stefan Potocki, who started the "Złota Pilawa" lineage, died and was buried in Zolotyi Potik, his descendants started to use the Pilawa coat of arms in golden colour. Because of that the lineage is called the "Złota Pilawa". There are also four branches called:
"Gałąź łańcucka"
"Gałąź krzeszowicka"
"Gałąź tulczyńska"
"Gałąź wilanowska"
Named after the hubs of their respective constellations of properties. The family became prominent in the 16th and 17th centuries as a result of the patronage of ChancellorJan Zamoyski and King Sigismund III Vasa.
Count Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk, 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. Jozef's son, Count Joseph Wladislas Edmond Potocki de Montalk, born in Paris in 1836, B. es L., fought in Garibaldi's campaign of 1859 and arrived in New Zealand in 1868, where he became Professor of Modern Languages at Auckland University College. He was the author of The Elements of French Literature, 1879; founder and president of the Alliance Française; a member of the Société de Linguistique de Paris; and, as an Officier d'Académie, was a recipient of the Palmes académiques. Professor Potocki de Montalk had twelve children; the eldest son, Robert Wladislas, an Auckland architect, was Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk's father.
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. His remains are believed to be 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.
