Surname Balija in modern Croatia

Balija families are Croats and they are mostly from Ludbreg area. In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Zagreb and Zabok. In Novo Selo Podravsko in Ludbreg area every fifth inhabitant had the family name Balija.

Prevalence

About 510 people with faimily name Balija live in Croatia today, in 200 households. There were 660 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number decreased by 20 percent.
They are located in the most of Croatian counties, in 27 cities and 61 other places, mostly in Zagreb (130), Jalsje in Zabok area (40), Pitomaca in Djurdjevac area (30), Koprivnica (25), and in Novo Selo Podravsko in Ludbreg area (25).

Outside Croatia

At least eight families with this surname emigrated from Croatia to: the United States (3), Canada (3), and to Germany (2).
Family name Balija (including: Bhaliya , Baliya , Balieva , Balyya , Balijah , Baliyah , Baliela , Ballija and Bhalija ) is present in 46 countries worldwide. The family name "Balija " is used by some 200 people in Albania , about 80 in the United States , and small number of people in Canada. "Baliya " is used by some 70 people in Nepal , small number in South Africa , and small number of people in the United States. "Bhaliya " is used by small number of people in Georgia , small number in the United States , and small number of people in Hong Kong.

Characteristic first names

Dragan Balija, Hrvoje Balija, Melita Balija, Aida Balija, Milivoj Balija, Lidija Balija, Davor Balija, Ivan Balija, Božidar Balija, Mario Balija, Damir Balija, Verica Balija, Nada Balija, Štefica Balija, Miho Balija, Ivanka Balija, Zvjezdana Balija, Jagoda Balija, Željka Balija

Mentions in sources

In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned over ten times, the first time 1906 in source Yearbook and Directory of Literary Society of St. Jerome 1906.

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