CROATIAN HERALDRY

Adam S. Eterovich

MARIANOVICH---MARIJANOVIC---MARIANI

Mariani (Marijani, Marianovich- Marijanovich Drazoievich) is found at Komiza, on the island of Vis in great numbers and found in Dalmatia and other parts of Croatia, the name Mariani is related to the noble houses of Drazojevich and Tomasovich.

Identical in composition, the Drazojevich-Marianovich coats of arms exhibit vertical lines for the color red; white is silver; and the dots, gold.

Count Drazojevich, Gianco Janco, also Mariani-Marianovich, came to Dalmatia in the 1600's to the Poljica Republic, Omis, Split, Brac, Vis, Trogir and other places in the Dalmatian region. One branch of this large clan was under the domain of Count Girolamo Gianco Marianovich-Mariani. The Drazojevich was also known to have Draxenovich and Drazenovich variations.

During the time when the Turks had moved into Bosnia-Hercegovina, many Croatian families and clans of the upper class, nobility, intellectuals and craftsmen moved into Dalmatia. Since Dalmatia was under the Republic of Venice at the time, many people, as citizens of Venice, used the Latin-Italian versions of their Slavic names. These names were alternate names of convenience and became nicknames and later actual family names.

Coats of arms for the Marianovich-Drazojevich families are on display at the University Library in Zagreb and list from the year 1595.

Courtesy of the Croatian Genealogical and Heraldic Society, 2527 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, California, 94070. Phone: 650-592-1190; E-Mail croatians@aol.com; Web www.croatians.com. Adam S. Eterovich.