Surname Žele in modern Croatia

In Croatia, Žele families are generally Croats (from Opatija ), very rarely Italians (also from Opatija ), and barely Slovenes (from Rijeka ). In the past century, relatively most of Croatian residents bearing this family name were born in Rijeka and Zagreb.

Prevalence

About 40 people with faimily name Žele live in Croatia today, in 20 households. There were 40 of them in the middle of the past century, and their number remains constant.
They are located in threee Croatian counties and two other places, mostly in Zagreb (15), Rijeka (<10), Opatija (<10), Karlovac (<10), and in Lovran in Opatija area (<5).

Outside Croatia

Family name Žele (including: Zele , Zelle , Zehle , Zölle , Zellie , Zelee , Zähle and Zhele ) is present in 59 countries worldwide. The family name "Zele " is used by some 900 people in South Africa , about 900 in Ethiopia , and some 600 people in the United States. "Zelle " is used by some 1000 people in Germany , about 800 in the United States , and some 600 people in Burkina Faso. "Zelee " is used by some 200 people in Liberia , about 50 in the United States , and small number of people in France.

Characteristic first names

Boris Žele, Davorin Žele, Ana Žele, Ivona Žele, Dino Žele, Nada Žele, Marijan Žele, Sandra Žele, Nataša Žele, Dinko Žele, Ivana Žele, Sunčica Žele, Ljubica Žele, Jerko Žele, Željko Žele, Leopold Žele, Marko Žele, Silva Žele, Andreja Žele

Mentions in sources

In the sources analysed in the project Acta Croatica so far, the name is mentioned few times, the first time 1938 in source Phone Book - Zagreb 1938.

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