Bigosz Families

Spelling Variations include: Bigos, Begosh, Bigoś, Bigosz.

The Bigosz surname  originated as a vivid nickname within the historic Kingdom of Galicia—a sprawling Central European territory that straddled modern-day southeastern Poland and western Ukraine.

 The most likely origin is the Polish/Slavic word bigos, which refers to the iconic Hunter's Stew made of chopped sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, various meats, and mushrooms.  Another origin of the name may include the cook, tavern owner, or hunter that prepared the dish occupationally.  Historically, bigos meant something finely minced, chopped up, or hacked with a blade. It could have been a nickname for a butcher, a woodcutter, or even a fierce swordsman/soldier who "made mincemeat" of opponents (Ancestry.com).  The name may also mean a mix, a mess, or a combination.

Kolodzey Connection

The Bigosz (also spelled Bigos or Begosh) family connected to the Kolodzey family through Y-DNA; meaning that we share a common ancestral father.  

Motto

 „Z lesa a ohňa živobytie“ or in English, 

“From forest and fire, sustenance.”   

 Crest Description 

Vert, a cauldron Or enflamed Gules, beneath two crossed hunting spears argent tipped Or; in chief a stag’s head caboshed proper, in base three bundles of wheat Or bound Gules. Crest upon a tilting helm affronté with mantling Vert doubled Or, a hunter’s horn Or entwined with a sprig of thyme proper.  Supporter Dexter, a wild boar proper armed and langued Gules; sinister, a stag proper attired Or — both standing upon a compartment of forest earth strewn with oak leaves and wheat.

 Symbolism

• Vert field — fertility and the Galician forested hills.
• Cauldron enflamed — the hearth as the center of life and sustenance.
• Crossed spears — the hunter’s craft and readiness.
• Stag and boar supporters — the noble and rustic sources of the stew, representing balance between grace and strength.
• Wheat sheaves — the agricultural foundation of Galicia.
• Horn and thyme crest — the call of the hunt and the aromatic symbol of the Bigos dish itself.
• Motto — a poetic encapsulation of the family’s heritage: survival, provision, and unity through shared labor.