Croatian Heraldry
Adam S. Eterovich
ZEC--LEPORINI
Zec,
Zecich, Zecevich, Zecca, Zecovich and Leporini all mean "rabbit."
Leporini is also the Italian word for rabbit. Zec, Zecich and Zecevich are
found in all parts of Croatia whereas the names Zecca and Leporini are no
longer found used in these forms or spellings today.
Coats
of Arms were granted to Zecich-Leporini in 1533 on the island of Hvar, a small
island along the Adriatic, then part of the Venetian Republic. This clan of
"Zec" were prominent citizens with one being a graduate of the
University of Padova in Italy in 1685. It is interesting to make note that the
Dalmatian branch of Zec-Zecich used the name Leporini also.
On
November 6, 1668, Stefan Zechich, or Zecic, was granted arms and a copy of same
is on deposit at the Croatian Academy in Zagreb. Citing the Zec-Leporini name
origin as a key example, it is very easy to assume that many of the nobility in
Croatia and some Croatian names were of Italian, Hungarian or Austrian
derivations. However, they were, for the most part, Croatian in origin and
lineage.
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.