Kralj is a South Slavic surname and title. It literally means "king" and, according to Petar Skok, is derived from

Charles the Great Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

( Karolus) in the same sense as

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

is to

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

. In

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

, it is the 14th most common surname: it is present throughout the country, but it is especially common in central and southern Slovenia. In

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

, it is the 49th most common surname, also present throughout the country, but most numerous in central Croatia. It is the one of the most common surnames in two counties of Croatia. It is also present in

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

, e.g. the well known actor

Petar Kralj Petar Kralj ( sr-cyr, Петар Краљ; 4 April 1941 – 10 November 2011) was a Serbian theater, film and television actor. Biography Kralj was born in Zagreb to a Serb family from Banija. During World War II his family fled to Syrmia, ...

, a name which during the Communist rule in Serbia caused stir when read according to the

Austrian-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1 ...

bureaucratic manner—inherited throughout

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...

—of listing surnames before personal names in schools, the army, hospitals etc. because it sounds like King Peter of Yugoslavia. As a surname, it may refer to: * Darko Kralj (Croatian Paralympic athlete) * Elvira Kralj (Slovenian actress) * France Kralj (Slovenian painter) * Goran Kralj (American singer and songwriter) * Ivica Kralj (Serbian footballer) *

Ladislav Kralj Ladislav Kralj-Međimurec (Čakovec, 24 April 1891 – 9 February 1976) was a Croatian painter and engraver. In the history of Croatian painting he is best known for his landscapes of his home county, Međimurje, and Zagorje, which he crea ...

-Međimurec (Croatian painter and engraver) *

(Serbian actor) *

Tone Kralj Tone Kralj (23 August 1900 – 9 September 1975) was a Slovene sculptor and painter also known for his wall paintings and illustrations. Kralj was born in Zagorica near Dobrepolje in Lower Carniola in 1900. He studied sculpture in Prague b ...

(Slovenian painter)

References

Noble titles Slovene-language surnames Croatian surnames Serbian surnames {{King-surname