Surname Balaj in modern Croatia

In Croatia, Balaj families are mainly Albanians (from Osijek area ), rarely Croats (from Slatina ), and . In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Kosovo and in Vinkovci area.

Prevalence

About 10 people with faimily name Balaj live in Croatia today, in five households only. There were 20 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number halved.
They are located in 6 Croatian counties, in 7 cities and another small place , mostly in Darda in Osijek area (<10), Otok in Vinkovci area (<10), Zagreb (<10), Slatina (<5), and in Vinkovci (<5).

Outside Croatia

Family name Balaj (including: Balay , Balai , Ballay , Balhaj , Ballaj , Balahy , Bhalaj , Bahlay and Bahlaj ) is present in 79 countries worldwide. "Ballaj " is used by some 300 people in Morocco , about 100 in Albania , and small number of people in the United States. "Bhalaj " is used by few people in the United States. "Ballay " is used by some 900 people in France , about 400 in the United States , and some 300 people in Germany.

Characteristic first names

Binak Balaj, Djemal Balaj, Gjemali Balaj, Rexhe Balaj, Izet Balaj, Gjemile Balaj, Sadete Balaj, Idriz Balaj, Jelena Balaj, Zejnepe Balaj, Sabahate Balaj, Katarina Balaj, Marija Balaj, Franjo Balaj, Ivan Balaj, Petar Balaj, Mato Balaj, Ana Balaj, Danica Balaj

Mentions in sources

In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned few times, the first time 1902 in source Hartmann's General List of Apartments in Zagreb.

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