Smolec families are Croats and they are mostly from Vrbovca. In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Zagreb and Vrbovec. In Obrankovec in Ludbreg area every seventh inhabitant had the family name Smolec.
Prevalence
About 120 people with faimily name Smolec live in Croatia today, in 50 households. There were 100 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number increased by 20 percent. They are located in 9 Croatian counties, in 10 cities and 14 other places, mostly in Zagreb (65), Poljanski Lug (15), Bjelovar (10), Brcevec (10), and in Velika Gorica (<10).
Outside Croatia
Family name Smolec is present in 9 countries on two continents. "Smolez " is used by few people in the United States.
In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned over five times, the first time 1935 in source Faculty of Humanities University of Zagreb Alumni.