According to Croatia’s Ministry of Justice and Administration, the most popular baby names in the country last year were (again) Mia and Luka.
Here are Croatia’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2020:
Girl Names
- Mia (531 baby girls)
- Lucija
- Sara
- Ema
- Nika
- Marta
- Rita
- Mila
- Petra
- Ana
Boy Names
- Luka (870 baby boys)
- David
- Jakov
- Ivan
- Petar
- Roko (the Croatian form of Rocco)
- Matej
- Noa
- Filip
- Mateo
In the girls’ top 10, Mila replaced Iva.
In the boys’ top 10, Noa and Filip replaced Karlo and Borna.
Finally, here are some insights about Croatian baby-naming trends from sociologist Ivan Balabanic:
Today, parents give their children names that are more pleasing to the ear and in accordance with their own taste, because new generations have moved away from the traditional obligation to give names of other family members to children […] Today’s names are also a reflection of greater freedoms, individualism and personalism because parents are no longer so attached to tradition and extended families.
He noted that modern Croatian parents are moving away from names that were popular during the Yugoslavian era (1945-1991) — names like Milan, Dražen, Mladen, Zdravko — and also away from the names of historical Croatian princes, such as Krešimir, Trpimir, Branimir and Domagoj.
Sources: Most popular baby names in Croatia last year revealed, What baby names are Croatians choosing now? A move from tradition
Image: Adapted from Civil ensign of Croatia (public domain)
