Surname Olic - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'O'
Olic: What does the surname Olic mean?
The surname Olic is typically of Slovakian origin, specifically stemming from the regions of modern Slovakia and Poland. This particular surname is derived from the given name Olej, which is the Slovak form of the name Elijah.
In Slovakia, the surname Olic was traditionally associated with a family's occupation and would have signified that the family was part of a group of people who mastered carpentry or any trades requiring working with wood.
The surname Olic entered Slovakia around the 1500s, when many of the Slovakian Slavic peasants were on the move due to severe famine. Consequently, many people adopted their surnames as a way of making themselves distinct from their new neighbors.
Due to past generations living in rural settings, the spelling of Olic today can be seen in various forms—Ollyc, Olik, and Olicz.
Today, there are several prominent Slovakian individuals who bear the surname Olic. For instance, Slovakian football star Milan Olic was part of the Austrian Bundesliga club Sturm Graz and the 2010-2011 Bundesliga champion Borussia Dortmund. Additionally, the late Slovakian opera singer and Grammy Award nominee Peter Olic was internationally renowned for his theatrical performances
The surname Olic carries a rich heritage with it—one that is steeped in the hardships of emigration and of surviving as artisans in a new land. While its spelling has been adapted to fit modernizing times, its characteristic remains—a symbol of hardworking Slavic roots in Slovakia.
Order DNA origin analysisOlic: Where does the name Olic come from?
The last name Olic is most commonly found today in the former Yugoslavia, and the bordering countries of Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name is believed to have originated in the medieval Hungarian era in the 13th-15th centuries. Spelling variations of the name include Olitzak, Olicz, Olics, Olicz, Olic and Olič. Within the Balkans area, the name Olic is most prominent today in the Croatian regions of Slavonia, Kolašin, and Lika, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The various spellings of Olic can also be found scattered throughout other countries in eastern and central Europe, such as Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, and Romania.
Within the United States, the last name Olic is believed to have initially been carried over by Croatian immigrants in five main waves from the 1820s-1950s. These immigrants typically settled in the northeastern United States, such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as in areas of the Midwest. The surname is still common in areas with large Croatian-American populations, such as Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Chicago, but is much less frequent in other parts of the country.
Outside the United States, the name Olic is still relatively common in many of the areas of Europe from where its original bearers emigrated, and is sure to remain a consistent part of the legacy of the Croatian people.
Variations of the surname Olic
The surname Olic is believed to be derived from the Slavonic word for wolf, which also appears in the English word “lycanthrope,” meaning a werewolf. Variants of the name include Oleck, Olicz, Olik, Olyak, Olyk, and Olyyck. Some surnames with similar spellings include Olech, Olette, Olejnik, and Oleszczak.
In some cases, the consonant 'z' has been replaced with 'c' to form variants such as Olesczak and Olesczyk. In Central European countries, such as Poland, there are also forms of the surname with the addition of 'ski' or 'sky', such as Oleszczak and Olekski.
In some cases, the name has been modified due to phonetic evolution in different languages, resulting in the surnames Olicic, Olinic, Olinic, Ollik and Olinski.
Similarly, in some cases, the suffix 'ak' or 'ek' has been added, resulting in the variants Olecki, Oleszak, Olyak, and Olyck.
In some cases, the vowel 'o' has been dropped, resulting in surnames like Lik, Lyk, Lyyck and Lyyck. In other cases, the vowel 'e' has been replaced with a, resulting in the surname Olaw, Olek and Olyak.
In America and other English speaking regions, some variants of the surname include: Ollic, alic, Olick, Olyck, Oleck, and Olike.
Famous people with the name Olic
- Kovvat Olic, Turkish musician and composer
- Dervis Olic, Bosnian politician and lawyer
- Timi Olic, Nigerian footballer
- Brodi Olic, Australian rugby league player
- Paul Olic, Serbian musician
- Gavrilo Olic, Croatian World War II hero
- Nemanja Olic, Serbian footballer
- Dejan Olic, Serbian footballer
- Paja Olic, Serbian singer
- Sreten Olic, Serbian futsal player and coach