Illustration: MomJunction Design Team
Croatian baby names are infused with profound meanings and a distinct sense of identity, reflecting the nation's unique heritage. They have influences from Slavic roots, historical figures, and the picturesque landscapes of this Adriatic country. From traditional names honoring revered saints to modern titles inspired by nature's wonders, Croatian baby names resonate with beauty. Croatian is the standard language of Croatia and one of the official languages of the European Union (1). Being a South Slavic language, most Croatian vocabulary is derived from the Slavic branch of the Indo-European language (2). When the Croats arrived in Croatia, they used Slavic names and corresponding naming customs. These customs changed when the Catholic church decided during the Council of Trent that all Christians must have Christian names instead of native ones. In the 19th century, however, Slavic first names made a comeback. Croatians now follow a unique, slightly complex structuring, lettering, naming custom, and composition, similar to most European naming systems. Croatia mainly shares its naming conventions with the other West Balkan countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro. They tend to use their family name first, followed by their personal name. These family names often have the -ić suffix, often written as -ic, or the suffixes -ević or -ović. Sometimes, these family names can indicate a person’s ethnicity or cultural background. For instance, Mustafagić contains the element Mustafa, indicating Islamic or Turkish origins (3). Although Croatian surnames are Slavic and sometimes go through anglicization for easy pronunciation, given names in Croatia are influenced by the names of other countries. Even the given names list has expanded to include borrowed names from all over the world. So, if you’re looking for Croatian baby name suggestions, you have landed at the right place. Below is our compilation of Croatian baby names with meanings.
| Name | Gender | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ljubomir |  |  Boy | One who loves peace |
| Lovre | | Boy | Short form of Lovrenco; From Laurentum |
| Lovrenco | | Boy | Croatian form of Lawrence; From Laurentum |
| Lovro | | Boy | Short form of Lovrenc |
| Lucija | |  Girl | the one who shines; Light |
| Lucijan | | Boy | One who is born into light |
| Luka | | Boy | From Lucania; Light |
| Mario | | Boy | Warlike; Mars |
| Marko | | Boy | One who is manly but tender |
| Marta | | Girl | The Lady; The mistress |
| Matej | | Boy | God's gift |
| Mateo | | Boy | Gift of God |
| Matija | | Boy | Croatian form of Matthias, meaning Gift of God |
| Matko | | Boy | Gift of Yahweh; Diminutive of Matthias |
| Mia | | Girl | Mine; Dear; Darling |
| Miho | | Boy | Croatian form of Michael, meaning who is like God? |
| Mihovil | | Boy | Croatian form of Michael, meaning who is like God? |
| Mirjana | | Girl | Beloved one |
| Mirna | | Girl | A calm and tender person |
| Mirta | | Girl | An evergreen shrub; A small tree |
| Mislav | | Boy | The thought of glory |
| Mojca | | Girl | The beloved one |
| Nika | |  Unisex | People's victory |
| Patricija | | Girl | Croatian form of Patricia; Noble |
| Pavao | | Boy | Croatian form of Paul; Small or humble |
| Petar | | Boy | Rock; Stone; A variant of Pero; A form of Peter |
| Petra | | Girl | Rock; Stone |
| Radenka | | Girl | To work |
| Radmila | | Girl | A sweet happiness |
| Rijeka | | Girl | River |
| Roko | | Boy | Rest; Croatian form of Rocco |
| Safranka | | Girl | Saffron flower |
| Sajonara | | Girl | Farewell |
| Sanela | | Girl | Healthy |
| Sara | | Girl | Princess |
| Sarlota | | Girl | Croatian variant of Caroline; Strong |
| Seada | | Girl | One who is happy and cheerful |
| Sebastijan | | Boy | Slovene form of Sebastianus; From Sebaste |
| Seka | | Girl | Sister |
| Senada | | Girl | One who is graceful and heavenly |
| Sesila | | Girl | Blind |
| Sibila | | Girl | Oracle; Name of a Greek prophetess |
| Simunka | | Girl | To hear; To be heard |
| Slatka | | Girl | Sweet; Sweetly flavored |
| Slavco | | Boy | One who brings glory to the family |
| Slavenka | | Girl | A Slavic woman |
| Slobodanka | | Girl | Freedom |
| Snjezana | | Girl | The snow woman |
| Sonora | | Girl | Loud |
| Spasenka | | Girl | Rescue or save |
| Spomenka | | Girl | Croatian name for forget-me-not flower |
| Srecko | | Boy | Luck; A lucky and fortunate man |
| Stefa | | Girl | A woman with the crown |
| Stela | | Girl | Croatian form of Stella, meaning star |
| Stipe | | Boy | Croatian diminutive of Stjepan; Crown |
| Stjepana | | Girl | The female of Stephan; Crown |
| Studena | | Girl | Cold or chill |
| Suncana | | Girl | Sun or sunny |
| Svjetlana | | Girl | Croatian form of Svetlana; Light |
| Tadeja | | Girl | Gift from God |
| Tajana | | Girl | To keep a secret |
| Terezija | | Girl | Reaper |
| Tihana | | Girl | A quiet person; A saint |
| Tihomira | | Girl | Female form of Tihomir; Quiet and peaceful world |
| Tin | | Boy | A Saint; A thinker |
| Tomislav | | Boy | Torture and glory |
| Tonka | | Girl | Croatian form of Antonia; Worthy of praise |
| Trpimira | | Girl | Endure, bear, suffer; Peace or world |
| Tvrtko | | Boy | Hard |
| Ulrika | | Girl | A female ruler |
| Urma | | Girl | Date fruit |
| Valerija | | Girl | Strong |
| Valpurga | | Girl | The female master of the tower |
| Vanesa | | Girl | Butterfly |
| Vanja | | Boy | God is gracious |
| Vasilija | | Girl | King; Feminine form of Basil |
| Vatroslava | | Girl | Fire or flame |
| Vedran | | Boy | Clear; Cheerful |
| Vedrana | | Girl | One who is jolly and merry |
| Velimir | | Boy | Great peace |
| Venera | | Girl | Honorable; Beloved |
| Veronika | | Girl | She who brings victory; True image |
| Veselka | | Girl | One who’s always happy and cheerful |
| Vesna | | Girl | Messenger |
| Vid | | Boy | Wood |
| Vigora | | Girl | Feminine form of Vigor; Strength and power |
| Viktor | | Boy | A form of Victor |
| Viktoria | | Girl | Croatian form of Victoria; Victory |
| Viktorija | | Girl | Croatian form of Victoria; Victory |
| Vincencija | | Girl | Female form of Vincent; To conquer |
| Vinea | | Girl | Vineyard |
| Vinko | | Boy | Conquering; A man with conquering and leadership qualities |
| Visnja | | Girl | Cherry |
| Vita | | Girl | Life |
| Vito | | Boy | Derived from Vitus; Life |
| Vitomira | | Girl | Female of Vitomir; Lord of the peaceful world |
| Vjeko | | Boy | Glory of the ages |
| Vjekoslav | | Boy | Glory of the ages |
| Vjekoslava | | Girl | Glory of the ages |
| Vjera | | Girl | Faith |
Infographic: Captivating Croatian Baby Names With Meanings
Embrace the rich cultural heritage of Croatia with baby names from this vibrant culture. Dive into the world of Croatian names and find the perfect name that echoes beauty and uniqueness. The infographic below presents Croatian baby names with meanings. Read on and pick a suitable name for your newborn. Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the top Croatian baby names with biblical origins?
Some most used and top-rated Croatian names with biblical origins include Ivan (Yahweh is gracious), Marko (a form of the name Mark, related to Saint Mark, the writer of the second gospel of the New Testament), Luka (from Lucania), David (one of the kings of Israel who is believed to have preceded Jesus), and Josip (He will add).
2. Are there any traditional Croatian baby names that can be used for both genders?
Aljoša (helper or defender), Andreja (masculine), Borislav (battle glory), and Capeka (a little stork) are examples of traditional Croatian unisex names.
3. What are ancient Croatian names?
Examples of ancient Croatian names include Branimir, believed to have been derived from the Slavic elements. For instance, ‘borna’ means ‘protection’, and ‘miru’ means ‘peace.’ Domagoj, a combination of the Slavic elements ‘domu’ meaning ‘home’ and ‘gojiti’ meaning ‘nature’, Miroslav, derives itself from the Slavic elements ‘miru’ and ‘slava,’ meaning ‘peace’ and ‘glory,’ respectively. Similarly, Borna derived from ‘borti’, meaning fight or battle’ in Slavic. These names are considered to be ancient because they have a Slavic origin. In addition, Domagoj and Borna were the names of a couple of the oldest Croatian rulers, indicating their presence since the 7th century.
4. What Croatian name means love?
David (beloved), Marija (beloved), Ljubo (peace, love), Ljuba (love), and Mojca (the beloved one) are a few examples of Croatian names that mean similar to ‘love.’
References
- Official and Spoken Languages of European Countries.
https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/european_languages.htm - Background Information (Croatian).
https://slavic.ucla.edu/languages/bcs/croatian-background-info/ - A Guide to Names and Naming Practices.
https://www.fbiic.gov/public/2008/nov/Naming_practice_guide_UK_2006.pdf
