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Many people find Croatian surnames or last names attractive and appealing. However, few know that family names appeared among the Croatians only during the 12th century. Generally, Croatian family names have five origins: given names, nicknames, professional names, toponyms, and ethnic designation.
Like most European naming systems, they follow unique yet complex structuring, lettering, composition, and naming customs. Some of their surnames are derived from Slavic, such as Serbian and Bosnian, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian origins, due to migration, cultural exchanges, and historical events. Usually, most Croatian surnames end with a suffix such as “-ic,” which is often combined with the name or profession of the parent to form matronymic or patronymic surnames. However, modernization and globalization have led Croatian traditions to borrow surnames from worldwide.
Check out this post to explore a collection of some common Croatian surnames or last names, along with their meanings, origins, and variations.
Did you know?List Of Popular Croatian Surnames Or Last Names
1. Abramovic
The surname means ‘son of Abram,’ and has its origin in Croatian and Serbian. Ivana Abramovic, a Croatian tennis player, is a famous bearer of the name.
2. Adamovic
It is a patronymic form of the personal name, Adam, and has Croatian and Serbian origins.
3. Andric
Andric refers to the ‘son of Andrija,’ and is associated with Nikola Andric, a Croatian writer and philologist.
4. Antunovic
It means ‘son of Antuno,’ a Croatian form of Antonius. It is associated with a Croatian writer, Ivan Antunovic.
5. Antic
Antic means ‘son of Anto or Ante,’ and a famous bearer of this surname is Mika Antic, a Yugoslav poet and film director.
6. Arapovic
It is derived from the Turkish word, ‘Arap,’ meaning ‘Arab.’
7. Babic
It is derived from the Russian and Polish word, Baba, which means ‘old woman.’ The popular namesake is Ljubo Babic, a Croatian painter.
8. Berislavic
It is composed of two elements, ‘birati,’ meaning ‘to take’ and ‘slava,’ meaning ‘glory.’
9. Bilic
It is an Ikavian word ‘bilo,’ meaning ‘white.’ The famous bearer of the name is Croatian football coach, Slaven Bilic.
10. Bolic
The Serbian and Croatian surname derived from the word ‘bol,’ meaning ‘pain or ache.’
11. Blazevic
The last name means ‘son of Blaz,’ which is a Croatian form of Blaise. It refers to the South Slavic element ‘blag’ meaning ‘pleasant, good and sweet.’
12. Bosnjak
It is a toponymic name denoting someone from the region of Bosnia. This name is also found in Bosnian Muslims.
13. Bozic
This Croatian surname means ‘little God,’ and literally means Christmas.
14. Bozikov
Bozikov is taken from the Croatian word ‘bozikovina,’ meaning ‘holly.’
15. Bukvic
The surname Bukvic originated from the word ‘Bukva,’ meaning ‘beach.’
16. Bulic
The surname is derived from Ottoman Turkish word ‘bula,’ meaning ‘a married woman.’
17. Bumba
It is a variant of Bomba, taken from Latin ‘bombus,’ and is an occupational name for an artilleryman.
18. Butkovic
This habitational name refers to someone from the region called Butkovici in Croatia.
19. Celar
It is an occupational name given to a beekeeper and has Croatian and Serbian origins.
20. Celik
Celik is derived from the Serbo-Croatian element ‘celik,’ which means ‘steel’ in the Turkish language.
21. Cerkez
Cerkez surname is derived from the Turkish element ‘cerkez,’ meaning ‘Circassian.’
22. Cizmadija
It is an ornamental surname derived from Croatian ‘cizma,’ meaning ‘boot.’
23. Corluka
The popular last name is taken from the Turkish ‘korluk,’ meaning ‘blindness.’ Vedran Corluka, a football player, is a famous bearer of this surname.
24. Crnkovic
The surname is derived from the element ‘crn,’ meaning ‘black.’ It refers to a person who is dark-skinned, or refers to someone from the region, Crna Gora meaning ‘black mountain.’
25. Curkovic
The surname refers to Croatian ‘curak,’ meaning ‘fur coat.’ It is associated with Serbian footballer Ivan Curkovic.
26. Cvek
This Croatian surname has its origin in German, and is taken from the word ‘Zwecke’ meaning ‘nail.’
27. Domagojevic
It means ‘son of Doamgoj.’ They are a native Croatian dynasty that rules Croatia in the late 800s.
28. Davidovic
Davidovik refers to the ‘son of David.’ The popular namesake is Dalibor Davidovic, a Croatian musicologist.
29. Divjak
Divjak means ‘savage,’ and this surname has Croatian and Serbian origins. This makes it count as one of the notable Serbian Baby Names.
30. Drobnjak
This unique surname refers to Drobnjaci, a historical tribe and region in Montenegro.
31. Dundovic
It is a patronymic name for the Ragusan word, ‘dundo,’ meaning ‘gentleman or uncle.’ This originates from the Latin word, Dominus meaning ‘master or sir.’
32. Faraguna
The ornamental surname derived from Istro-Romanian ‘fara guna,’ meaning ‘without a shepherd’s goat-skin cloak.’
33. Galovoc
It is a toponymic name for someone who lived in a village, castle, or lake in Croatia with the same name.
34. Golubic
It means ‘little pigeon,’ and is derived from the word ‘Golub,’ meaning ‘pigeon.’
35. Graovac
It is a toponymic surname given to someone from the village named, Graova in Croatia. The name is derived from the word ‘Graovo.’
36. Grbic
It is derived from the Croatian ‘grb,’ which means ‘hump.’ The surname means ‘hunchback.’
37. Grgic
The last name Grgic means ‘son of Grgur.’ A popular namesake is Zlatko Grgic, a Croatian animator.
38. Gusic
It is derived from the word ‘Guska,’ meaning ‘goose.’ Gusic was one of the twelve noble families of the Croatia kingdom.
39. Hadzic
Hadzoc is derived from the word ‘hadzi’ that refers to pilgrims to Jerusalem or Mecca. A Bosnian singer, Osman Hadzic is known to be a famous bearer of this name.
40. Haluzan
It refers to someone who is from Haloze, a region in Slovenia. This popular name has Croatian and Slovene regions.
41. Harambasic
It originated from the Croatian word ‘Harambasa,’ meaning ‘bandit-leader.’ The name is associated with a Croatian writer and poet, August Haramabasic.
42. Hercigonja
This is an occupational name taken from ‘Herzogin,’ a German title that means ‘duchess.’
43. Hladika
This unique surname is derived from the Croatian word ‘hladno,’ meaning ‘cold.’
44. Horvat
It is derived from ‘Hrvat’ meaning ‘Croat, a person from Croatia.’ The famous bearer of this surname is Croatian writer and sailor, Joza Horvat.
Did you know?45. Hrzenjak
It is a habitational surname for those who are from the regions starting with ‘Hrzen-.’
46. Jezic
Jezic is derived from the Croatian word ‘Jez’ meaning ‘hedgehog,’ and is associated with a Croatian writer, Slavko Jezic.
47. Josipovic
Josipovic refers to the ‘son of Josip.’ A popular namesake is Ivo Josipovic, the former president of Croatia.
48. Jukic
It refers to the ‘son of Juko’ and is associated with the Bosnian film director, Elmir Jukic.
49. Jurkovic
It is a patronymic surname from the given name, Jurko. The famous namesake is Igor Jurkovic, a Croatian kickboxer.
50. Ibricic
The surname has Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian origins. It means ‘son of Ibro,’ and a popular namesake is Senijad Ibricic, a Bosnian soccer player.
51. Jablanovic
This surname is derived from the word Jablan meaning ‘poplar tree.’
52. Kacic
The surname Kacic is derived from the word ‘Kaca’ meaning snake. It is one of the twelve noble families of Croatia.
53. Kadijevic
It is an occupational name referring to a judge of a Sharia court. The surname is derived from ‘kadija,’ meaning ‘Qadi.’
54. Kajmac
Kajmak or Kaymak refers to a dairy product from southeastern Europe and Central Asia.
55. Kapetanovic
It is an occupational name referring to Croatian ‘kapetan,’ meaning ‘captain.’
56. Kasunic
Kasunic is taken from the old Slavic element ‘kazati,’ meaning ‘to command or order.’
57. Kenzevic
It is a patronymic surname referring to Serbo-Croatian ‘kniz,’ meaning ‘prince.’
58. Kis
This short and unique name is from Turkish ‘kis’ meaning ‘winter.’ It also has Hungarian origin, meaning ‘small.’
59. Kokotovic
This surname means ‘rooster’ in Slavic.
60. Kolovrat
Kolovrat is a Swastik-type Slavic symbol referring to ‘a spinning wheel.’
61. Koprivica
This surname is a diminutive form of ‘Kopriva’ meaning ‘nettle.’
62. Kosar
It is derived from the word ‘kos,’ meaning ‘basket.’ The surname refers to someone who makes or sells baskets.
63. Kotarac
It is a toponymic name for someone who is from Kotar, a type of district.
64. Kovacic
It is a patronymic surname derived from ‘kovac,’ meaning ‘blacksmith.’ A popular namesake is the Croatian musician Bruno Kovacic.
65. Kralj
Kralj means ‘king,’ and has Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian origins. The name is associated with the first king of Croatia, Kralj Tomislav.
66. Kravar
It is an occupational name for someone who is a cow herder.
67. Kupina
The Croatian surname means ‘blackberry’ and refers to the burning bush from the Book of Exodus.
68. Levic
The surname Levic is a Croatian name derived from ‘levo,’ meaning ‘left.’
69. Lisic
It is derived from Albanian ‘lesh,’ meaning ‘fur.’ The surname has Serbian and Croatian origins.
70. Loncar
Loncar is taken from the Serbo-Croatian element, ‘Lonac’ meaning ‘potter.’ The famous bearer of this surname is Zoran Loncar, a Serbian Politician.
71. Loncarevic
It is referred to as the ‘son of the potter.’ The popular bearer of this surname is Ilija Loncarevic, a Croatian football coach.
72. Lucic
It is a patronymic form of the personal name ‘Luka,’ an English form of Latin Lucas, meaning ‘from Lucania.’
73. Maric
Maric refers to the ‘son of Marija.’ It can be associated with Marcela Maric, the Croatian Olympic diver.
74. Martinovic
This surname is formed by adding the suffix ‘-ic’ and the possessive infix ‘-ov-‘ to the given name, Martin.
75. Mecava
Mecava means ‘snowstorm,’ and is associated with Mile Mecava, a Yugoslavian Partisan.
76. Medved
It is a Croatian name for ‘bear,’ and is a popular Slavic name, too.
77. Mestrovic
It is derived from the Croatian word, ‘mestar,’ and a rare form of the master.
78. Milan
The habitational name is given to those from the Italian city of Milan, and contains Slavic elements ‘mil’ or ‘milu,’ meaning ‘favor, grace or dear.’
79. Misic
It is a patronymic name, meaning ‘son of Miso,’ and referred to someone muscular.
80. Mogorovic
It refers to the ‘son of Mogor,’ and is one of the twelve noble families of Croatia.
81. Moslavac
It is a habitational surname for those from a region called Moslavina in Croatia.
82. Nelipic
It means ‘son of Nelipac.’ It is a medieval Croatian noble family that existed in the 15th and 16th centuries.
83. Nikolic
It refers to the ‘son of Nikola.’ A popular namesake is the House of Nikolic, a Serbian noble family.
84. Novosel
The Croatian surname is derived from the elements ‘nov,’ meaning ‘new’ and ‘selo,’ meaning ‘village.’ It refers to someone new to the village.
85. Novak
Novak is from Slavic ‘Novy,’ meaning ‘new.’ It refers to someone new to the village, and the popular namesake is Novak Djokovic, a professional tennis player.
86. Oblak
It is a Croatian and Slovene name for ‘cloud.’
87. Orlic
Orlic originates from the element ‘oroa,’ meaning ‘eagle.’ The surname is associated with the Croatian musician, Tihomir Orlic.
88. Palic
Palic is a Serbian and Croatian surname derived from ‘paliti,’ meaning ‘to fire, or to set on fire.’
89. Pasalic
It is taken from ‘pasa,’ meaning ‘Pasha,’ a high rank in the Ottoman political and military system.
90. Perovic
Perovic refers to the ‘son of Pero,’ and a popular surname is of Ana Perovic, a former Serbian basketball player.
91. Perusko
It is a habitational surname for someone from the region called Peruski in Croatia.
92. Pletikosa
Pletikosa originated from the Croatian elements ‘pletiti,’ meaning ‘to knit’ and ‘kosa,’ meaning ‘hair.’
93. Popovic
It is a patronymic surname for ‘son of a priest.’ The name is associated with Petar Popovic, a former Croatian basketballer.
94. Posavec
It refers to a person living in Posavina, a region adjacent to the Sava river in Croatia.
95. Puntar
The last name Puntar refers to a 19th-century phrase referring to someone who supported the unification of the Kingdoms of Croatia and Dalmatia within Austria-Hungary.
96. Puskaric
It is an occupational name for someone who is a ‘gunsmith,’ and is derived from Croatian ‘Puskar.’
97. Radolovic
It is a Croatian word that refers to the phrase ‘glad to hunt.’
98. Radosevic
Radosevic is the ‘son of Rados.’ It has Croatian and Serbian origins.
99. Remenar
Remenar is an occupational surname with meaning ‘saddler.’
100. Repac
Repac is a Croatian and Serbian surname, which means ‘little tail.’
101. Ribar
Ribar is an occupational surname of Croatian origin, and it means ‘fisherman.’
102. Rodak
It is derived from the Croatian word ‘rodak,’ meaning ‘family relative.’
103. Rodic
Rodic is a Croatian and Serbian name for ‘roda,’ meaning ‘stork.’
104. Rukavina
The surname originated from the Serbo-Croatian word ’Rukav,’ meaning ‘sleeve.’
105. Ruzic
The popular surname derived from the Croatian element ‘ruza,’ meaning ‘rose.’
106. Safran
It means ‘saffron’ in the Croatian language.
107. Sakic
It is derived from the word ‘saka,’ meaning ‘fist.’
108. Saska
The toponymic surname is derived from the name of the region, Saxony.
109. Segrt
It means ‘apprentice,’ and a popular namesake is Rade Segrt, a Bosnian-Serbian author.
110. Serder
It is an occupational surname, and is a Turkish form of Persian ‘Sardar,’ meaning ‘leader, chief, field marshal.’
111. Sever
This has its origin in Croatian and Slovene languages and means ‘north.’
112. Simicic
The Croatian form of Simeon, and is derived from the name Simun, meaning ‘flatter or listener.’
113. Simunovic
It is from the given name Simun, and refers to ‘son of Simun.’ A popular namesake is a Croatian writer, Dinko Simunovic.
114. Sindik
It is an occupational surname referring to a lawyer or representative from Dalmatia in the Middle Ages.
115. Sladoljev
It is derived from ‘slad,’ meaning ‘malt’ and the suffix ‘-ljev,’ meaning ‘pouring.’
116. Slavica
The surname is derived from the Slavic element, ‘slava’ meaning ‘glory.’
117. Slunjski
Slunjski is a habitational name for someone from the region, Slunj of Croatia.
118. Smokvina
The Croatian surname is derived from the word ‘smokva,’ meaning ‘fig.’
119. Sojka
This name refers to ‘jay,’ a bird, and is of Croatian origin.
120. Sokic
It is derived from the Turkish ‘Sokak’ meaning ‘street.’ Most people bearing this surname live in the region of Cernik.
121. Stanic
Stanic means ‘son of Stanko, ’a diminutive of Stanislav. It is derived from Slavic elements, ‘stani,’ meaning ‘stand,’ and ‘slava,’ meaning ‘glory.’
122. Starcevic
It is a Croatian word for ‘son of an old man.’
123. Stipancic
It is a patronymic surname meaning ‘son of Stipe’ or ‘son of Stjepan.’
124. Strazicic
The Croatian surname is derived from ‘straza,’ meaning ‘guard.’
125. Suskov
Suskov is taken from the Croatian element ‘suskati,’ meaning ‘to rustle.’
126. Tasic
It is a patronymic name meaning ‘son of Tasa.’
127. Teklic
Teklic is a popular Croatian surname for ‘messenger,’
128. Tisljar
The Croatian surname is an occupational name given to those who are into ‘carpentry.’
129. Tomic
It means ‘son of Tuma,’ and a popular namesake is Zivorad Tomic, the Croatian film director.
130. Topolovec
It is a toponymic name referring to several locations in Slovenia and Croatia bearing the name ‘Topolovec.’
131. Travar
It is a Croatian and Serbian surname and an occupational name for ‘herbalist.’
132. Tripimirovic
It refers to ‘sons of Tripimir.’ Tripimirovics was the ruling dynasty of Croatia, which is named after Tripimir I, the founder.
133. Vidovic
Vidovic means ‘son of Vid,’ and is formed by adding the patronymic suffix ‘-ic’ and the possessive infix ‘-ov’ to the given name, Vid.
134. Viljevac
It is a habitational surname for someone who is from the region of Viljevo in Croatia.
135. Vincek
This surname is taken from the Croatian nickname, Vincent. It is from the Roman name Vincentius, derived from Latin ‘vincere,’ meaning ‘to conquer.’
136. Vrban
It is taken from the Croatian word ‘Vrba,’ meaning ‘willow.’
137. Vrhovac
The surname is taken from the Croatian element ‘vrh,’ meaning ‘peak, top or summit.’
138. Vujic
It is a Croatian and Serbian name, derived from the given name, Vuk, which means ‘wolf’ in Serbian.
139. Vukovic
The patronymic surname derived from ‘Vuk’ meaning ‘wolf.’
140. Yankovic
Yankovic means ‘son of Janko,’ It has Croatian and Serbian origins and a diminutive form of Janez.
141. Zadravec
It is a Croatian and Slovene surname, referring to a person living near the Drava river.
142. Zagorac
It refers to ‘someone beyond the mountain.’ The popular namesake is Danjel Zagora, a Croatian footballer.
143. Zec
Zec means ‘rabbit’ and has its origin in Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, and Bosnian.
144. Zidaric
It is a Croatian surname taken from ‘zidar,’ meaning ‘stone mason or bricklayer.’
145. Zoric
Zoric refers to ‘son of Zora,’ and the name is associated with Luka Zoric, a Croatian basketball player.
146. Zrinski
It is a Hungarian name for ‘people from Zrin,’ and an Old Croatian noble family of the 16th and 17th centuries.
147. Zubcic
Zubcic surname is derived from the word ‘zubic,’ meaning ‘small tooth.’
148. Zuna
Zuna is a Croatian surname meaning ‘woodpecker.’
149. Zupanovic
It is an occupational surname given to the leader of a territorial unit called ‘zupanija.’
150. Zver
Zver refers to ‘beast’ and has its origin in Croatian, Russian, and Slovene languages.
Discover More Names
When you have to choose a name for your baby, a few hundreds of names may not be just enough. Keep digging our mine of baby names until you find that one precious gem.
Illustration: Most Common Croatian Surnames With Meanings
Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do Croatian last names work?
Traditional Croatian names mostly follow the eastern naming style, with a family name followed by a first name. However, the current naming style is mostly western styling, represented as a first name followed by the family name.
2. Can I change my last name in Croatia?
You may change your first name or your last name in Croatia. However, if you want it to be legal, you must change the details in your documents within 15 days (1).
3. Do Croatians use middle names?
Middle names are not common among Croatians. If a person wishes to have more than one name, the two might be combined within the first name.
4. Are there regional variations in Croatian surnames?
Croatian surnames vary depending on the region and reflect the country’s diverse linguistic, cultural, and historical backgrounds. In areas that were under Ottoman rule, such as Eastern Croatia, surnames might suggest Turkish linguistic influence, while surnames in Northern Croatia may have Germanic or Hungarian roots. Also, Dalmatian surnames show Italian and Venetian influences due to historical ties with these countries, whereas Istria’s Croatian surnames are rooted in Italian and Slovenian languages.
Croatia also has several dialects, such as Čakavian, Kajkavian, and Štokavian, which influence how surnames sound and are constructed.
Croatian surnames or last names are unique and have been around for quite a long time. They play a vital role in Croatian culture, reflecting the country’s rich traditions, heritage, and lineage of the families. Scroll through the list and choose the one you would like for your baby or keep it handy to suggest to someone else. We have included last names starting with almost all the syllables to give you a wide range of options.
Infographic: Common Croatian Surnames
Croatian surnames are unique around the world and are mostly derived from Slavic words. So, take a look at the infographic below to learn about the different types of Croatian surnames and what they mean. You can save it too! Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Key Pointers
- Croatian surnames have been in use since the 12th century.
- Their origins stem from given names, nicknames, occupations, place names, and ethnic identifiers.
- Many Croatian last names have Slavic origins, including Serbian and Bosnian influences.
- Most Croatian surnames end with suffixes such as ‘-ak’ and ‘-ic.’
- Popular Croatian surnames include Milan, Novak, Stanic, and Yankovic.
References
- Changing of personal documents.
https://gov.hr/en/changing-of-personal-documents/356
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