Surname Zelić in modern Croatia

Zelić families are mainly Croats and they are mostly from Makarska area. According to some sources they are from Bosnia or from Backa, very rarely Serbs. In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Benkovac and in Middle Bosnia (Bugojno area). In Popovići in Benkovac every third inhabitant had the family name Zelić.

Prevalence

About 1900 people with faimily name Zelić live in Croatia today, in 790 households. There were 1100 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number increased by 70 percent.
They are located in almost all Croatian counties, in 67 cities and 121 other places, mostly in Zagreb (285), Zadar (190), Split (135), Brela in Makarska area (85), and in Osijek (85).

Outside Croatia

At least 12 families with this surname emigrated from Croatia to: Germany (3), the United States (3), Australia (2), France (2), the United Kingdom (1), and to Switzerland (1).
Family name Zelić (including: Zelic , Zelich , Zelliche , Zellick , Zellich , Zelick , Zelycz , Zelych , Zelicz and Zelicha ) is present in 29 countries worldwide. "Zelich " is used by some 200 people in Poland , about 100 in the United States , and some 60 people in Argentina. "Zelick " is used by small number of people in the United States , small number in Russian Federation , and small number of people in Kenya. "Zellick " is used by small number of people in the United States.

Characteristic first names

Mirko Zelić, Miomir Zelić, Marko Zelić, Ivan Zelić, Naco Zelić, Renata Zelić, Danko Zelić, Robert Zelić, Marijan Zelić, Marija Zelić, Ivanka Zelić, Ivica Zelić, Jelica Zelić, Bruno Zelić, Mladen Zelić, Manda Zelić, Juraj Zelić, Tade Zelić, Josip Zelić

Mentions in sources

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

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