Surname Hrelja in modern Croatia

Hrelja families are mainly Croats and they are mostly from Opatija area , rarely Italians. In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Pula and Rijeka. In Brseč in Opatija area every fourth inhabitant had the family name Hrelja.

Prevalence

About 370 people with faimily name Hrelja live in Croatia today, in 160 households. There were 420 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number decreased by 10 percent.
They are located in 9 Croatian counties, in 21 cities and 46 other places, mostly in Rijeka (45), Pula (40), Rovinj (35), Zagreb (25), and in Bencici in Pazin area (25).

Outside Croatia

At least 17 families with this surname emigrated from Croatia to: the United States (7), France (4), Germany (2), Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), and to Sweden (1).
Family name Hrelja (including: Hrelia , Hreglia and Cherellia ) is present in 13 countries on three continents. The family name "Hrelja " is used by some 60 people in the United States , small number in Russian Federation , and small number of people in Australia. "Cherellia " is used by few people in the United States.

Characteristic first names

Ivan Hrelja, Zvjezdana Hrelja, Dino Hrelja, Asima Hrelja, Aron Hrelja, Elvis Hrelja, Đeni Hrelja, Dean Hrelja, Silvija Hrelja, Danilo Hrelja, Nevenka Hrelja, Elena Hrelja, Deana Hrelja, Mira Hrelja, Silvano Hrelja, Dušan Hrelja, Ivica Hrelja, Gordana Hrelja, Ramiro Hrelja

Mentions in sources

In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned over twenty times, the first time 1664 in source Catholic Church Parish Records.

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