The surname Sypniewski is of Polish origin and centered around the Oder region where families bearing this surname are still found today. Sypniewskis can also be found all over the world, particularly in the United States, Brazil, and Germany.
"Sypniewski" roughly translates as "one who originates from Sypniewo' - (that is from Sypien's settlement). There are several manorial estates which bear the name of Sypniewo or a similar spelling as in the German "Zippnow".
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The etymology of 'Sypien' suggests the use of water in association with the making or use of a clay vessel or fortification and the breeding or capture of fish. In short, the origins suggest a clan that lived either in a fortified place on or near water (rivers/lakes) or who kept game and fisheries. In all likelihood both options apply. Most of the old manorial estates bearing the name Sypniewo are located near or on a lake or river (i.e. Lake Margonin). In German the name is translated as 'Seeort' (place on the lake).
The Sypniewskis belong to the Polish Szlachta (nobility) and, although mentioned already ca. 1390, obtained a nobility patent in 1480 from the king, Casimir IV Jagiellon (1427-1492, who granted the right to use the Odrowąż coat of arms. Zlota Kseiga Szlachty Polskiej ("Golden Book of Polish Nobility") states that the Sypniewski - Odrowaz arms are said to have come from the Podgorza region, recorded about 1490. Their nobility confirmations through Bonifacius Sypniewski are dated to 1483 & 1833. A Jan Sypniewski resettled in Lithuania in the Brzesko-Litewskie province, and branches are found in Poznań, Nowy Sącz, and Prussia. Around the 16th century, the Sypniewski family is found living in Greater Poland owning manorial estates there, and later we find them in West Prussia on the estate of Zmijewie (Kojalowicz, Niesiecki, Goluchowski).
Various other documents found in Polish archives refer to the family and its holdings in and around, what was later to become, the Silesian and Prussian German/Polish border. The family is then also mentioned as Prussian nobility, on the division of Poland in the 18th century, and is found in Siebmacher's Wappenbuch under the Odrowąż armories.
At the turn of the 16th, and again 18/19th century, the family split into various and distinct branches, with some members moving to the Austrian province of Galicia (holding the Austrian title Ritter von Odrowaz or Ritter von Sypniewski (see also Ritter) granted by the Empress Maria Theresia), near the Ukraine and Moldavia, then on to Hungary and the Balkans. This Austrian branch produced several k.u.k. officers from the famous Theresian Military Academy in Vienna.
It is also said that the von Runge family (originating from an area around Wroclav, the former Breslau) adopted the surname Sypniewski.
There are several estates called Sypniewo. One south of Samotschin in the Kreis Chodziesen/Kolmar in Posen, and the larger holding called Sypniewo (Zippnow) located north of Samotschin, in Kreis Flatow, West Prussia. Now this area forms part of Wielopolska, Poland. Wielpolska, or Greater Poland, is referred to as the home of the Polanie (a Slavic tribe that lived in the heart of Poland); and Great Poland contains the oldest towns in today's Poland.
The surname Sypniewski has also been found in Polesie, the largest province of Poland. Polesie was inhabited by Ruthenians, called Polesians; of Ukrainian descent. During the 16th and 17th century, Sypniewski were found in Polesia as a notable family mentioned in the Listracje (inventories) similar to the registry of England's Domesday Book. The 17th, 18th, and 19th century's turbulent times forced many Polish families to emigrate to other regions of Europe (particularly Prussia) and later to emigrate further afield to the United States and Brazil. Heinrich Sypniewski from Cologne had a Eucalyptus farm in Brazil.
Sypniewskis could also be found near Bydgoszcz (German: Bromberg) and Wroclav (German: Breslau) in the manor of Skoraszewice (Pempowo) until World War II. Others were in Vienna, Passau, Nuremberg, Cologne, Sweden and Switzerland, etc.
The Sypniewskis use the Odrowąż clan arms.
NOTE: Polish coats of arms were never provided for individuals or for individual families, but for a much wider group of clans people (a bit like sharing a tartan colour). The Polish nobleman added the name of his clan to the family name. In addition to the adjectival surname ending "ski" or "cki" meaning 'from' or 'of'. The standard form, for example, was "Peter Sypniewski, herbu Odrowąż" or simply "Piotr Odrowąż Sypniewski". In this century the surname Sypniewski has been transmuted into the Celtic d'Argantel Odrowąż.
The book, Galician Nobility, (Galicia was SE Poland as part of the Austrian Empire) lists the arms for Sypniewski (table 449): a family of Polish gentry from the Polish Province (Wojewodztwo) of Prussia, where they are first recorded in 1490. Descendant Boniface Sypniewski is entered in the records of Galicia in 1783. The coat of arms is Odrowąż.
Siebmacher's Wappenbuch (Siebmacher's armorial reference book) under Preussischer Adel (Prussian Nobility), records Sypniewski (table 269), a Polish family, connected to the Odrowaz coat of arms, still 20 years ago (at the printing of the above stated book, ca. 1840) in possession of a sizeable piece of farmland. Coat of arms: Look under Gliscinski III (Odrowaz).
for the Sypniewski name: (Source: Armorial General by J.B. Riestap)
Arms: Gules, an arrow argent point to chief, the base terminating as inverted horns.
(Red, a silver arrow, point upwards, the base terminating as inverted horns)
Crest: out of a crest coronet proper, a pananache of peacock plumes proper, charged with arms, fesseway (horizontally). Motto: No motto is recorded
Heraldic Colors: Argent: silver and is usually depicted in heraldic painting as white - or: gold and is usually depicted in heraldic painting as yellow. Gules: red in heraldic language. Red is a royal color. Red/argent stands for bold and resolutely honest with martial prowess, boldness, and valor
Heraldic Symbolism: Arrows: arrows usually are traced to achievements of the original bearer during the Crusades. Arrows are symbolic of one who is ready and fit for military encounter.
Peacock Feathers: the peacock represents personal pride. Feathers also symbolise conquests in Syria/Holy Land over the Saracens in the Crusades.
Ducal Coronet: The four leaves on the corenet surmounting the helmet were originally oak leaves, then changed to the Polish traditional strawberry leaves. Leaves symbolise victorious battle, and/or a title of nobility.
The Odrowąż arms are also shown in the film The Teutonic Knights (Polish: Krzyżacy). King Władysław Jagiełło - a historic person, king of Poland between 1381 and 1434 had first bestowed the coat of arms to the Sypniewski family, who fought with Casimir IV Jagiellon.
Feliks Sypniewski was a renowned Polish Painter who later emigrated to Paris and is buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.
Even though by today many of the families bearing the surname Sypniewski can no longer be classified as being 'related', often physical traits are still intact. On the male side they tend to be tall, with a high forehead and 'Geheimratsecken' (naturally receded hairline above the temple) with an oval face. Also certain forenames were given within the families and only with the advent of the World Wars was this changed. For example: Stanislas and Adalbert (or Albert) very common. It is worthwhile to note that the parish church in Margonin (near Sypniewo/Chrustowo) is named after St Adalbert.
Sypniewskis have, over the centuries, prodcuced soldiers, painters and artists, authors, clerics, magistrates, engineers, military, musicians, farmers, medical doctors, teachers, government administrators, explorers, etc.
Members of the Sypniewski family have been actively involved in Polish politics over the centuries, and taken part in Polish Underground and French Resistance activities during World War II (i.e. Jan Sypniewski, later known as Jan Slave, journalist at the Neue Zürcher Zeitung).
As recounted in her memoirs, actress Helena Modrzejewska emigrated to the United States in 1876. The group of emigrants who settled in Anaheim, California, also included Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski und Łucjan Paprocki. Stanisław Witkiewicz (father of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz) and Adam Chmielowski had planned to be part of this group but changed their minds.