Serwis Polskiego Towarzystwa Genealogicznego

Hello Giovanni, the origins and meaning of the surname Baszczok from Silesia is very interesting.
By the MyHeritage website Forebears.io in 2014 y. very rare surname Baszczok was held only by 229 people in Poland and 19 people in Germany.

In my opinion, the name Baszczok is a variant of very old Slavic-Galic[Celtic] surnames Bajszczak [only in Poland 431 people and in France 10 people] and Bayszczak [only in France 10 people].
BAJSZCZAK/BAYSZCZAK - BASZCZAK [Poland 142 people] - BASZCZOK [ Poland 229 people].

The meaning of surnames Bajszczak and Bayszczak is not listed on Forebears. Polish scientists claim that the surname Bajszczak comes from the Polish word “bajarz” = storyteller which corresponds to present French word “troubadour”, so Baszczok = story teller.

Wladyslaw

Hello Gentlemen,

Wladyslaw, my best friend, you are absolutely right, the surname BASZCZOK is very interesting, and rare in Poland, and it's not listed in the Dictionary od the Polish Names firmed by PAN Polish Academy of Sciences: https://nazwiska.ijp.pan.pl/ - and your hint with 'bajarz'='story teller' is very valuable.

If I can add the second possible version of the origins and meaning of the surname BASZCZOK. I've found with some other etymological sources the following information: https://narodowa.pl/exhibits/edukacja-i ... tymologia/ (please click on the English flag on the top of the page) -

- with point 4. Kazimierz Rymut (1935 Chechły os. Ropczyce-2006 Kraków), linguist, onomastician, professor of humanities, etymologist, main editor of monumental works: the multi-volume Polish Surnames – Historical and Etymological Dictionary (published by DWN, volume I AK, 1999, volume II L-Ż, 2001), and Polish Place Names – History – Origin – Changes (published by IJP PAN from volume I AB, 1996…): Volume I A-K https://www.bibliotekacyfrowa.pl/dlibra ... anguage=pl - on the page 23 the surname BASZCZOK is given with the information that it derived from the very old Polish base surname BASZ - noted in Poland from the year 1388, and derived from Polish names started with Ba- like Barbara, Bartłomiej, etc.

And the secound source with points 5.1 and 5.2 are giving the possibility od finding the oldest archival document in Poland with that surname:

5. Zofia Kowalik-Kaleta , linguist, etymologist, professor, long-time employee of IJP PAN, author of numerous works, including “History of Polish Surnames in the Social and Customary Background (12th-15th Century)” , Institute of Slavic Studies PAN, Warsaw 2007, co-author of “ Dictionary of the Oldest Polish Surnames of Linguistic Origin (12th-15th Century)”, Institute of Slavic Studies PAN, Warsaw 2007.

5.1 History of Polish Surnames in the Social and Customary Background (12th-15th Century) : https://rcin.org.pl/dlibra/doccontent?id=39455

5.2 Dictionary of the Oldest Polish Surnames Linguistic Origin (12th-15th Century) : https://rcin.org.pl/Content/38217/PDF/W ... W_0000.pdf

Final hint: The base surname of BASZCZOK is BASZ, with the second book 5.2 page 12. and the first book 5.1 - the origin as the christian name Bartłomiej with the first document in Poland giving the archival note: "Maciej Basz (Bartlomiej), source MCh 192: "Matias dictus Bas de Karczouin" 1388, Kraków 4837.

One remark with the surname BASZCZOK - suffix -ok = this is very tipical for the Sliesian surnames.

Dear Giovanni, sorry large reply, but maybe this would be encouragement for you and for anyone who want to explore the surname with the etymological sources.

Finally, with the game of imagination, what would be the surname gens that passed over to the present family trait? If from the Polish rname Bartłomiej the meaning is with English:
Bartłomiej - Bartholomew - is a name of Aramaic origin. It comes from the words: bar (son) and tholomai - which is a male name meaning a ploughman or warrior. The meaning of the name Bartholomew is: son of a ploughman or son of a warrior.

Dear Giovanni - be careful, with your family genes you are a brave warrior in your life - is that true?

Greetings!

Tadeusz
www.narodowa.pl