Rokonal Family Branch

Variations include:  Rokon, Rokony

The Rokonal family surname originates in Sambron, a historically Carpatho-Rusyn (Greek Catholic) community. The most plausible explanation of the surname is the Hungarian root "rokon," meaning "relative" or "kin."   The surname originally functioned as a nickname or designation for an outsider who moved into a new village and was identified strictly by their relation to an established family (e.g., "the relative" or "the in-law").  The suffix -al (or Rokonál) mirrors the Hungarian locative suffix -nál, which translates literally to "at the home of the relative." Over generations, as a family moved from Hungarian-influenced or Rusyn administrative areas into the German-speaking environment of Chmeľnica, the descriptive phrase solidified into a hereditary West Slavic surname.

Because the name is heavily anchored in Šambron, the Rokonal members were almost certainly of Rusyn-Slovak stock rather than Hungarian-Magyar. 

Kolodzey Connection

The Rokonal family merged with the Kolodzey family with the 1858 marriage of Joannes Kolodzey and Maria Tokarszky - whose mother was Anna Rokonal.

 Crest Description 

Arms Sable, issuing from a crown Or an arm embowed proper, armored argent, the hand grasping a scimitar argent hilted Or, between two herald’s trumpets Or, mouthpieces argent.

Crest upon a helm argent mantled Or and argent, doubled sable, surmounted by a crown Or, an arm embowed proper, armored argent, grasping a scimitar argent hilted Or, between two herald’s trumpets Or, mouthpieces argent. Richly foliated Or and argent, baroque in form, cascading from the helm.

 Symbolism

• The arm and scimitar symbolize martial readiness and noble defense.
• The trumpets represent heraldic proclamation and honor.
• The dual crowns signify continuity of noble authority between crest and shield.
• The black field (sable) denotes constancy and wisdom; gold (Or) conveys generosity and elevation of mind.