150 Most Common Croatian Surnames, With Meanings

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. They also derived some of their surnames from Slavic origins, such as Serbian and Bosnian origins. 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.

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Numerous Croatians share a name with a saint. Each of these names corresponds to a day when the respective saint’s day is celebrated.

In This Article

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.

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.

protip_icon Did you know?
Horvát, meaning “Croat,” is one of the most popular surnames among the Hungarian minority in Croatia. The name reflects the historical migration and the hundreds of years of ties between Croatia and Hungary.

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 a 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 is originated 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 from 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 with meaning ‘son of Tasa,’ which means love.

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 ‘stonemason 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.


Croatian surnames or last names_illustration

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.

Croatian surnames or last names are unique and have been around for quite a long time. This list of Croatian surnames also brings you various surnames with their meanings and origins. So 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!

popular croatian surnames of different origins (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

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References

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  1. Changing of personal documents.
    https://gov.hr/en/changing-of-personal-documents/356
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