62 Common & Famous Serbian Last Names (With Meanings)

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Naming expert Natalie Mulholland shares some of the commonest and rarest Serbian surnames

Co-authored by Natalie Mulholland and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: June 12, 2026 Fact Checked

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Most Common

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Popular

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Rare

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Famous

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Surname Practices

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Surname Origins

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More Last Names

Serbia is a beautiful and culturally rich nation in southeastern Europe with unique and recognizable last names. In this article, we partnered with a naming expert to explore the most common and rarest Serbian surnames and what they mean. We’ll also explain the naming conventions behind these family names and their linguistic roots. Keep scrolling to learn more!

About Serbian Surnames

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An illustrated list of common Serbian last names.

Naming expert Natalie Mulholland says common last names in Serbia are Jovanović, Nikolić, and Petrović. The majority of Serbian surnames are patronymic, meaning they’re derived from a person’s father or other descendant. These names often end with -ić or -vić (like in Pavlović), meaning “son of” or “descendant of.”

Section 1 of 7:

Most Common Serbian Last Names

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These are the top 21 most common last names in Serbia today. When it comes to surnames, these family names are as iconically Serbian as it gets.^{[1]
X
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- Jovanović: “Son of Jovan” (In English, John).^{[3]
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  Expert Interview} Likely in reverence of St. John the Baptist (Jovan Krstitelj in Serbian)
- Nikolić: “Son of Nikola”^{[4]
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- Petrović: “Son of Petar” (In English, Peter)^{[5]
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- Đorđević: “Son of Đorđe” (In English, George)^{[6]
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- Ilić: “Descendant of Ilija” (In English, Elijah)^{[7]
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- Pavlović: “Son of Pavle” (In English, Paul)
- Marković: “Descendant of Marko”^{[8]
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  Expert Interview} (In English, Mark); also “god of war”
- Simić: “Son of Sima”^{[9]
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- Stojanović: “Son of Stojan” (In Serbian, Stojan is a classic male name from the word for “to stand” or “to endure”)
- Popović: “Descendant of a priest” (Pop means “priest” in Serbian)^{[10]
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- Živković: “Son of Živko” (Živko is a Serbian male name connected to the word for “life”)
- Janković: “Son of Janko” (In English, John)
- Todorović: “Son of Todor” (In English, Theodore); from the Greek words for “gift of God”
- Stanković: “Son or descendant of Stanko.”^{[11]
  X
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  Expert Interview} Also associated with families in Ottoman-occupied territories who fought against the Turks
- Ristić: “Son of Risto” (derived from the southern Slav pronunciation of the Serbian word for “Christ”)
- Cvetković: Son of Cvetko (from the Serbian word cvet, meaning “flower”)
- Kostić: “Descendant of Kostadin” (In English, Constantine)
- Tomić: “Descendant of Tomislav or Toma” (from the Greek word for “twin”; in English, Thomas)
- Dimitrijević: “Descendant of Demetrius”
- Milošević: “Son of Miloš”^{[12]
  X
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  Expert Interview} (from the Serbian word for “compassionate” or “dear”)
- Krstić: “Son of Krsta” (In English, Christopher)
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Natalie Mulholland is a naming expert and content creator who focuses on sharing a name’s origin, meaning, category, notable people, and more.

Section 2 of 7:

More Popular Serbian Last Names

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These family names are also easy to find in Serbia. Whether you’re traveling the homeland or know someone of Serbian descent, these last names are quintessentially Serbian. From ancient names like Živanović to familiar ones like Ivanović, here are some more popular Serbian last names:
- Aleksić: “Son of Aleksa” (In English, Alexander)
- Brkić: “Son of Brko” (“Brk” is Serbian for “mustache”)
- Draganić: “Son of Dragan” (“Dragan” is Serbian for “dear” or “beloved”)
- Filipović: “Son of Filip” (In English, Phillip)
- Grujić: “Son of Grgur” (In English, Gregory)
- Ivanović: “Son of Ivan” (In English, John)
- Kovačević: “Son of the blacksmith”
- Lazić: “Descendant of Lazar”; also, “God has helped”
- Lukić: “Son of Luka” (In English, Lucas)
- Mitrović: “Son of Mitar” (a variant of Demetrius)
- Novaković: “Son of Novak”) (“Novak” is Serbian for “new” or “newcomer”)
- Obradović: “Son of Obrad” (“Obrad” is Serbian for “happy” or “joyful”)
- Petrić: “Son of Petar” (In English, Peter)
- Planinčić: “Of the mountains” (“Planina” is Serbian for “mountain”)
- Radulović: “Son of Radule” (a traditional Serbian male name)
- Stefanović: “Son of Stefan” (In English, Steven)
- Svetozarević: “Son of Svetozar” (“Svetozar” is Serbian for “holy light”)
- Vasiljević: “Son of Vasilije”) (“Vasilije” is Serbian for “royal” or “kingly”)
- Vuković: “Son of Vuk” (“Vuk” is Serbian for “wolf”)
- Živanović: “Descendant of Živan” (one of the oldest Serbian surnames)

Section 3 of 7:

Rare Serbian Last Names

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These names are less common in Serbia. While there are plenty of surnames you’ll hear often in Serbia, there are also plenty that are more obscure. Mulholland shares some of the Serbian last names you probably won’t come across a lot, but are still super cool:^{[13]
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- Vukčević: From vuk, meaning “wolf”^{[14]
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- Orlović: From orao, meaning “eagle”^{[15]
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- Ćosić: From a word meaning “beardless”^{[16]
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- Župančič: Linked to župa, a regional/parish unit^{[17]
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- Knežević: From knez, meaning “prince” or “nobleman”^{[18]
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- Radičević: From radič, an old Slavic root word meaning “joy”^{[19]
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Section 4 of 7:

Last Names of Famous & Noble Serbians

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You may recognize these Serbian names from history, sports, and science. Serbians and their descendants around the world have been important figures in politics, scientific breakthroughs, the arts, sports, pop culture, and more. Here are just a few famous last names you may have heard:
- Abramović: After conceptual performance artist Marina Abramović.
- Branković: The family name of a medieval Serbian noble family.
- Divac: After the NBA basketball player, Vlade Divac.
- Djoković: After the famous Serbian tennis player, Novak Djoković.
- Karađorđević: The family name of a Serbian ruling dynasty in the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Karadžić: After the famous writer and Serbian language reformer, Vuk Karadžić.
- Marić: After the Serbian physicist and mathematician, Mileva Marić (also the first wife of Albert Einstein).
- Mihajlović: After the famous football player and manager, Siniša Mihajlović.
- Milanković: After the renowned astronomer and geophysicist Milutin Milanković.
- Nemanjić: The family name of a medieval Serbian dynasty.
- Obrenović: The family name of the ruling dynasty of Serbia in the 19th century.
- Pupin: After the Serbian-American physicist Mihajlo Pupin.
- Seles: After the world-famous tennis player, Monica Seles.
- Tadić: After the former President of Serbia, Boris Tadić.
- Tesla: After the inventor and scientist Nikola Tesla.

Section 5 of 7:

Serbian Surname Practices

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Serbian surnames use familiar suffixes to communicate their meaning. You’ve probably noticed by now that many Serbian last names end with “-ić,” meaning “son of” or “descendant of.” This is one of several suffixes that help connect Serbian last names through generations and describe a family’s history.^{[20]
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- -ić or -vić: “Son of” or “descendant of” (these last names are patronymic, meaning they’re derived from the name of a father or other ancestor)
  - Example: Jovanović (“Son of Jovan”)
- -ski or -skić: “From” (these less common endings indicate a geographic or family origin)
  - Example: Milosavski (“From Milos” or “Belonging to Milos”)
- -ac: This rare ending usually indicates a family profession or trade.
  - Example: Kovačac (“Blacksmith” or “smith”)

Section 6 of 7:

Where do Serbian last names come from?

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Many Serbian surnames have Slavic roots. The Slavs are a large ethno-linguistic group in central, eastern, and southeastern Europe and include peoples like the Poles and Czechs (West Slavs), Russians and Ukrainians (East Slavs), and Serbs and Croats (South Slavs). Serbians are included among the South Slavs, and many of the first and last names trace their origins to old Slavic languages.^{[21]
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- Non-Slavic influences on Serbian names include Christian, Greek, and even some Latin roots.
- The country was also part of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years, and some Turkish nicknames and descriptive surnames have become part of Serbian surname practices.