Svetec families are Croats and they are mostly from Zapresic area. According to some sources they are from mjesta Zarovnice near Lepoglava. In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Zagreb and Varazdin. In Boričevec Toplički in Varazdinske Toplice every third inhabitant had the family name Svetec.
Prevalence
About 420 people with faimily name Svetec live in Croatia today, in 170 households. There were 460 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number decreased by 10 percent. They are located in the most of Croatian counties, in 25 cities and 45 other places, mostly in Zagreb (70), Varazdin (60), Zarovnica (55), Dugo Selo (30), and in Jakovlje in Zapresic area (30).
Outside Croatia
Family name Svetec is present in 12 countries on three continents. "Swetech " is used by small number of people in the United States.
In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned over ten times, the first time 1923 in source Emigration Commission Zagreb.