10/19/2026
Today we continue with our series of posts looking at traditional Serbian names. The wealth and beauty of names in our language is something worth preserving and understanding. Phytonymic names (Greek phyton for "plant" and onyma for "name") are based on botanical vocabulary - flowers, trees, herbs, and fruit. These names are more common for female children, but male equivalents do exist. Traditionally, they are chosen for the plant's symbolic meaning; beauty, fragrance, health benefits, or resilience. Who wouldn’t want their child to have the strength of an oak or the beauty of a rose! The focus of our post is on personal names, but there are many Serbian surnames with plant bases as well, referring to a family trade, the landscape where the family lived, or an ancestor’s nickname. For example: Cvetković from cvet (flower), Jelić from jela (fir tree), Hrastić from hrast (oak), Borić or Borović from bor (pine), Ružić from ruža (rose), Travica from trava (grass), Šljivić from šljiva (plum), and Višnjić from višnja (sour cherry). Filip Višnjić, one of the greatest Serbian guslars and epic poets, got his last name from his mother’s nickname Višnja.
Take a look at today’s post and tag someone you know with one of these names!
