Firlej family
Firlej (plural: Firlejowie) was a Polish szlachta (nobility) family. Magnates in the 15th and 17th century. History. According to Kasper Niesiecki, Ostafi of Lewart coat of arms came from Franconia, Germany, to Poland, in 1317, to serve Polish king Władysław Łokietek. He was nicknamed Firlej, and the name became his family name. From the 15th to 17th centuries, the Firlej family was a powerful magnate family in the Lesser Poland ("Małopolska") region. A branch of the family became a vocal supporter of Protestantism in Poland. The family became extinct in the 18th century.