11. PETROVIĆ /petrovich/

Frequency in Croatian population: 9.957 (11th Most Frequent)

The Petrović family name is yet another patronymic surname with the name Petar in it's root. It has the origin in the greek word petrus meaning the rock. The suffix "-ov" in Croatian language means "of Petar". And finally, the suffix "-ić" has a meaning of "little" or "descendant".

Petrov, Petrovčić, Petrovski, Petrovečki, Petrić, Petričić, Petrinović, Petrinić are some of the surname variants with the same root.

Bearers of Petrović family name can be Croats from middle Bosnia as well as Herzegovina, Slovenians (from city of Ormož), Hungarians, Serbs (in the area near the city of Beli Manastir) or even Gypsies (in the area around Osijek).

Geography: Busovača municipality in Bosnia is the place where one in every forty residents bears this surname. In Croatia, Pakovo Selo near Drniš, Podgajci Podravski near Donji Miholjac and Režanci near Labin are villages with the greatest density of the Petrović surname.

(Sources: Petar Šimunović, Hrvatska prezimena, Golden Marketing-Tehnička knjiga, Zagreb, 2006; Enciklopedija hrvatskih prezimena, Nacionalni rodoslovni centar, 2008)