Šaponja families are mainly Serbs and they are mostly from Benkovac area , whereas often Croats (from Benkovac ). In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Zadar and Benkovac. In Dobropoljci in Benkovac area every sixth inhabitant had the family name Šaponja.
Prevalence
About 240 people with faimily name Šaponja live in Croatia today, in 120 households. There were 360 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number decreased by 30 percent. They are located in the most of Croatian counties, in 21 cities and 23 other places, mostly in Zadar (40), Rijeka (20), Zagreb (10), Split (10), and in Biograd na moru (10).
Outside Croatia
Family name Šaponja (including: Saponja , Saponia and Saponya ) is present in 6 countries on two continents. The family name "Saponja " is used by small number of people in the United States.
In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned few times, the first time 1926 in source Emigration Commission Zagreb.
