Kot is the surname of a
Polish szlachta
The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...
(
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
) family.
[
The surname derives from the nickname with the literal meaning "]cat
The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
".[Kazimierz Rymut, Nazwiska Polaków. Słownik historyczno-etymologiczny, Wydawnictwo Naukowe DWN, Kraków 2001]
The first mention of the name was in the 13th century. describes the surname in his ''Herbarz polski'' as belonging to Piława coat of arms. The Kot family uses the Doliwa, Pilawa, Rola, or Kot Morski coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
.[ Tadeusz Gajl, ''Herbarz Polski od średniowiecza do XX wieku'', Gdańsk 2007, p. 457.]
Notable persons with Kot surname
* Andrzej Kot (1946–2015), Polish designer
* Antoni Kot, Polish footballer
* Eric Kot (born 1966), Hong Kong singer and actor
* Igor Kot (born 1980), Russian footballer
* Jakub Kot (born 1990), Polish ski jumper
* Karol Kot (1946–1968), Polish serial killer
* Maciej Kot (born 1991), Polish ski jumper
* Myroslava Kot (1933–2014), Ukrainian embroider
* Natalia Kot (born 1938), Polish artistic gymnast
* Serhiy Kot (1958–2022), Ukrainian historian
* Stanisław Kot (1885–1975), Polish scientist and politician, member of the Polish Government in Exile
* Tomasz Kot (born 1977), Polish actor
* Wincenty Kot (c. 1395 – 1448) Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland, vice-cancellarius regni Poloniae.
References
{{surname
Surnames
Polish noble families
Polish-language surnames