Kurck

The Kurki family or Kurck, also known as the family of Laukko, is a Finnish noble family tracing its lineage back to the late 14th century. It produced several historically prominent persons. The family is usually divided into several lineages, as it continued through female succession. No one surnamed Kurki who lived in Finland after the 17th century is descended from this family through any kind of proven agnatic lineage. The surname is common in Finland, and has been used by several other former or current unrelated families. The medieval Kurki family held the manor of Laukko from least the 14th century to the beginning of the 19th century. A seal of a member of this family is known from the early 15th century. It depicts a common crane, kurki in Finnish. However, the coat of arms of the family, dating from the 15th century, depicts a sword with three stars. This is the coat of arms of a Lady Elin, and was later found in the 1st baron Kurki's coat of arms at the Swedish House of Nobility when the family was given baronial rank in 1652. In 1797, Arvid Fredrik Kurck (1735–1810) was created a Swedish count, but his branch became extinct.