Surname Colakovic - Meaning and Origin
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Colakovic: What does the surname Colakovic mean?
The last name Colakovic is a traditional South Slavic surname originating in the former Yugoslav republics. It is the diminutive form of the surname Colak, also found in some southern Caucasian countries like Azerbaijan. The original form of the name implies the occupation of charcoal burning, as the root of the name comes from the word "Cola" which means coal. Traditional South Slavic surnames were usually related with occupations or locations, and Colakovic is no exception.
Its use as a surname evolved out of necessity as there were multiple families of the same name throughout the region. For example, in the 17th century, two different villages in Bosnia both had a family of Colaks with the same name and to differentiate the families, Colaker (little Colaks) was added to the name. The branch of the family from which the surname originated, "Veliki Colak" ("big Colaks"), later changed its name to "Velikovic" or "Greats".
The Colakovic surname is still found in countries of the former Yugoslavia, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. It is not an uncommon name and is still found among people of South Slavic heritage living all over the world. It is associated with good qualities and honorable character, due to the occupation that corresponds to the name.
Order DNA origin analysisColakovic: Where does the name Colakovic come from?
The last name Colakovic is primarily found in the former Yugoslavian countries of Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia Herzegovina. The name is derived from the words "colak" meaning “circles of stone” and "ovica" meaning "little one". This indicates that bearers of the name have a familial history of living in an area with stone dwellings; in other words, a mountain region. Today, most people bearing the last name Colakovic live in Serbia with a smaller number living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and the United States of America.
Serbia has the highest population of Colakovics, with a total of 115,609 bearers of the name according to a 2015 census. This population is distributed across many cities such as Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Subotica. Within Serbia, there is a region called Srpskih Colakovica (Serbian Colakovica) located throughout the upper east part of the country in Vojvodina. This area is inhabited by a large number of families bearing the last name Colakovic who have lived in the region for many generations.
Croatia is the home of 13,800 Colakovics with the majority located in Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik. Outside of the former Yugoslavian countries, there are approximately 1000 people in the USA that bear the last name Colakovic; most of these people are immigrants who moved to the US within the last 20 years.
In summary, the last name Colakovic is largely found in Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina; however, it is also present in small populations in the United States and other countries. The name is associated with the mountain regions of the former Yugoslavian countries, indicating that families bearing the name have been living in these areas for many generations.
Variations of the surname Colakovic
The surname Colakovic can be spelled in various ways. Colakovich, Colakowich, and Colakiewicz are variants that all originated from “Колаковић”, the original and traditional Slavic spelling of the name. It is also commonly found in spellings such as Kolakovic and Kolakowich.
The Croatian variant of the name is ‘Kolaković’ and is used mainly in Croatia, but can also be found in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It is sometimes seen as ‘Kolakovie’ or various combinations of the two.
The Hungarian translation of the name is ‘Kolakovics’ and is found mainly in Hungary, and sometimes also in Slovakia and Romania.
The Czech equivalent of the name is ‘Kolakovič’, however the name is rarely seen in this spelling in the Czech Republic.
In Russian, the same name is ‘Kolakovichev’ and is used in Russia and parts of Ukraine.
In the United States, the spelling of ‘Colakovic’ is the most common.
Colakovic is also a common surname in Slovenia and its variants are Kolaković, Kolak or Kolakovič.
Overall, the surname Colakovic is quite common amongst the Slavic countries and can be found in numerous variants. It is also common in the United States and can be found in different spellings in various countries.
Famous people with the name Colakovic
- Miki Colakovic: Serbian swimmer who competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
- Sanjin Colakovic: Bosnian basketball player who currently plays for MZT Skopje.
- Semir Colakovic: Bosnian footballer who plays for Bosnia and Herzegovina U21.
- Dzana Colakovic: Bosnian singer and songwriter who represented Bosnia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017.
- Boris Colakovic: Croatian filmmaker and actor who won the Golden Arena for Best Actor in 1989.
- Velimir Colakovic: Yugoslav footballer who played for Partizan Belgrade.
- Vuk Colakovic: Serbian singer, songwriter and musician who was active in the 1960s.
- Slavenka Colakovic: Croat opera singer who has performed at major opera venues around the world.
- Dejan Colakovic: Serbian footballer who plays for FK Borac Čačak.
- Miljan Colakovic: Serbian footballer who plays for Serbian SuperLiga side FK Rad.