Surname Horvat - Meaning and Origin
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Horvat: What does the surname Horvat mean?
The surname Horvat is a surname of Croatian origin, derived from the word “horvati” meaning “hunter”. It is derived from the root word “horvo” which means “broom”, indicating that the bearer was often a small-scale farmer or hunter.
The name is thought to have first been found in Croatia, a region located on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, in the Balkans. It is also common in many nations which were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, such as Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
It is thought that the surname Horvat is fairly common with individuals living in the former Yugoslavia, particularly in Croatia. It is also quite common in parts of western and central Europe, Australia, South America, and the United States.
In terms of the etymological history of the surname, it is often associated with the Latin word “horvatus” as well as the Old Slavic word “do-orvat”, both of which indicate a hunter or someone who lived off the land.
Thus, the last name Horvat is derived from the Old Slavic word meaning “hunter”, which indicates someone who lived off the land and the bounty of nature from their surroundings. It also likely points to individuals who were part of the agricultural and rural communities that have long existed in many parts of eastern Europe and the Balkans.
Order DNA origin analysisHorvat: Where does the name Horvat come from?
The surname Horvat is primarily associated with Croatia and is one of the most common surnames that originated there. It can also be found in many neighboring countries including Serbia, Bosnia, and Slovenia. Most notably, more than 160,000 people in Croatia alone carry the surname, which makes it the thirteenth most common last name in the nation.
In the United States, Horvat is a relatively rare surname; however, it is still found in small pockets of communities in certain regions. For example, the majority of Horvats living in the US are concentrated in and around Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. Many of these Horvats are descendants of immigrants who arrived to America at the start of the 20th century.
The surname Horvat is also found in Canada and Australia, although it is less frequent in comparison to Croatia and the US. Moreover, the surname is also common among Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, and many people with this surname who live abroad trace their roots to Slovak, Hungarian, Russian, Ukrainian, or Romanian Jews.
Overall, as of 2021, Horvat is a relatively uncommon last name in most parts of the world; however, it continues to be fairly common in Europe, particularly in Croatia and in other former Austro-Hungarian regions.
Variations of the surname Horvat
The surname Horvat is an occupational surname of South Slavic origin. It is derived from the Croatian word "horvati" which refers to a tiller of the soil. This surname is common throughout the countries of Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Horvat include:
Harvat/Harvati/Harwat/Hervat/Hervati/Herwat: This variant of the surname Horvat is mainly found in the countries of Macedonia and Hungary.
Hervát/Herváti/Hervátová/Hervátsky: This variant of the surname Horvat is found mainly in Slovakia.
Orvat/Orvati/Orwat/Orvatti: This variant of the surname Horvat is mainly found in the countries of Slovenia and Serbia.
Orbata/Orbatay/Orbatovici: This variant of the surname Horvat is mainly found in the countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Gorbata/Gorbati/Gorbatay/Gorbatovici: This variant of the surname Horvat is found mainly in Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Hraščan/Hrasčan/Hrasčanin/Hrasčanski: This variant of the surname Horvat is mainly found in Slovenia and Croatia.
Hrbat/Hrbati/Hrbatić: This variant of the surname Horvat is mainly found in the countries of Croatia and Serbia.
Horbound/Horbow: This variant of the surname Horvat is found mainly in the countries of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Hovat/Hovati/Hovatta/Hovatović: This variant of the surname Horvat is found mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Horvac/Horvack: This variant of the surname Horvat is found mainly in Croatia.
Overall, the surname Horvat has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. Each variant has its own place of origin, yet all of them are derived from the Croatian word "horvati". Therefore, regardless of the variant or spelling of the surname, it all started from the same root word.
Famous people with the name Horvat
- Domagoj Horvat: retired Croatian football player
- Zdravko Horvat: retired Croatian-Bosnian football player
- Bojan Horvat: Slovenian sculptor
- Matej Horvat: Slovenian footballer
- Josip Horvat: Croatian swimmer
- Zlatko Horvat: Croatian water polo player
- Marko Horvat: Croatian basketball player
- Josip Horvat: Croatian academic and physician
- Ivan Horvat: Croatian handball player
- Krunoslav Horvat: Croatian cyclist
- Luka Horvat: Croatian politician and President of the Cause
- Jakob Horvat: Slovenian politician
- Silvio Horvat: Croatian sprint canoeist
- Mladen Horvat: Croatian footballer
- Simeon Horvat: Croatian writer and diplomat
- Mirko Horvat: Croatian artist
- Vladimir Horvat: Croatian chemical engineer and President of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
- Ivica Horvat: Croatian water polo coach
- Mateja Horvat: Slovenian high jumper
- Anej Horvat: Slovenian youth footballer