Pokrajac (surname)

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Pokrajac (Cyrillic: Покрајац; IPA: ['pɔkrajaʦ]) is a South Slavic surname. There exist at least three theories as to its origin. According to one, it came into being when there was an individual who served the Austro-Hungarian forces on the military border – the past border between Austria and Bosnia, which later belonged to the Ottomans. Because the border was near the edge ("kraj") of the country, the surname Pokrajac came about. Pokrajac, therefore, is a name that describes an individual who lives or exists on some edge ("kraj").

Another theory states that Pokrajacs came from Montenegro. That hypothesis most probably came about through the efforts of Montenegrin nationalists, according to whom any Serbian last name is actually Montenegrin in origin.

"Potkraj", in Serbo-Croatian, means "at the bottom of a mountain slope", and there are a number of villages in Bosnia named "Potkraj". It is possible that people living in "Potkraj" got the word "Potkrajac" as their surname. Since "Pokrajac" is easier to pronounce, it is likely that letter "t" disappeared over time.

In the 19th century four Pokrajac brothers moved from Drnis, Austro-Hungary (present-day Croatia) to Livno, Bosnia. Three of them stayed in village(s) near Bosansko Grahovo, and the fourth one went on to the village of Guber near Livno. After the latest war in Bosnia (1992-1995) many Pokrajacs moved out of Livno. Probably there are many Pokrajacs still living in villages near Drnis, Croatia.

Today, the surname Pokrajac can be found in many countries: Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Canada and the United States. The first group came from the Drnis area in Croatia, then moved to the villages around the Bosnian town of Livno; the second inhabit Slavonia and Lika; the last, in fact, must be migrants from the former republics. The most famous Pokrajac is Branislav Pokrajac, one of the best handball left wings of his era.