The Zajec Family Name

Spelling was not fixed until the modern era, so Zając could easily become Zajec. The family name meaning is “Hare”, the same as for Zając. Records show Zajec as one of the forms Zając took over time. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. The same family of names includes Zajíc, Zajonc and Zajączek.

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Zając surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. Want more than a summary? See the Zajec family name pack.