Surname Golja in modern Croatia

Golja families are usually Croats and they are mostly from Labin area. According to some sources they are from Italy, rarely Albanians (from Dubrovnik ). In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Labin and in Labin area. In Veli Golji in Labin area every second inhabitant had the family name Golja.

Prevalence

About 200 people with faimily name Golja live in Croatia today, in 90 households. There were 270 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number decreased by 30 percent.
They are located in 6 Croatian counties, in 10 cities and 23 other places, mostly in Labin (45), Veli Golji in Labin area (30), Rabac (25), Rijeka (15), and in Zagreb (10).

Outside Croatia

At least 37 families with this surname emigrated from Croatia to: the United States (19), France (7), Australia (6), Sweden (2), Germany (1), the United Kingdom (1), and to Belgium (1).
Family name Golja (including: Golia , Goglia , Gholia , Golya , Goliah , Goolia , Gollia , Gholya and Gollyna ) is present in 51 countries worldwide. The family name "Golja " is used by some 400 people in Ethiopia , about 60 in the United States , and small number of people in Albania. "Golya " is used by some 80 people in the United States. "Golia " is used by some 2000 people in Italy , about 700 in the United States , and some 500 people in Argentina.

Characteristic first names

Tea Golja, Nataša Golja, Edi Golja, Gordan Golja, Marijan Golja, Jasmin Golja, Alen Golja, Nardi Golja, Armando Golja, Dušan Golja, Arduino Golja, Manuela Golja, Veljko Golja, Jasna Golja, Sandro Golja, Rinaldo Golja, Rudolf Golja, Marina Golja, Robert Golja

Mentions in sources

In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned over twenty times, the first time 1749 in source 18th Century Census.

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