Hlebec families are Croats and they are mostly from Krapina area. In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Varazdin and Bjelovar. In Lučinci in Pozega area every seventh inhabitant had the family name Hlebec.
Prevalence
About 290 people with faimily name Hlebec live in Croatia today, in 130 households. There were 350 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 28 cities and 37 other places, mostly in Tuhovec (30), Zagreb (25), Jazvine in Krapina area (15), Varazdinske Toplice (15), and in Bjelovar (15).
Outside Croatia
At least seven families with this surname emigrated from Croatia to: Germany (4), the United States (2), and to France (1). Family name Hlebec (including: Hlebetz , Chlebec and Hlebez ) is present in 12 countries on four continents.
In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned over ten times, the first time 1902 in source Hartmann's General List of Apartments in Zagreb.