Dear Croatian community,
In Croatia, the names and surnames are often indicative of the country’s rich cultural heritage and historical roots, so here are some of the most popular Croatian last names!
Names:
- Ivan: This ancient name is the Croatian form of “John” and is very well loved by people from Croatia. It has a lot of cultural importance.
- Marija: The biblical origin of this name is quite apparent as ‘Marija’ (Mary) is the most common name given to baby girls in Croatia which represents purity and grace.
- Marko: Another frequently used one, ‘Marko’ (Mark) derives from Latin Marcus.
- Ana: A simple, yet much adored among Croatians, ‘Ana’ (Anna) never goes out of style since it always stays charming through years and years.
- Petar: Again with strong religious background, associated with virtues such as loyalty or steadfastness – this name corresponds to English Peter.
Surnames:
- Horvat: The most widely spread surname in Croatia, which means “Croatian”.
- Kovačević: One of the most common Croatian surnames that stands for “son of a blacksmith”.
- Babić: This last name, derived from 'baba' (grandmother), is frequently used throughout Croatia and could imply connections with ancestors or family traditions.
- Marić: Often associated with the name Marija (Mary), this surname shows how much people love traditional names.
- Novak: “Newcomer” or “new one” – from these words comes the surname Novak, which is quite frequently found in Croatia and it may point out to some particular place where family comes from or settled down recently.
We want to know your name and if you know or want to know an equivalent in Croatian language? Do you maybe know the origin of your name, we are curious.
Warm wishes,
Loreta, OLS Community Manager – Croatian