User-submitted Reference

Erlić (Erlic) is a distinctly Croatian name. It has no relation to any of the similar-spelling Germanic names. The similarities are phonetic only, not etymological. The surnames developed and evolved independently from each other and are not related.

The Germanic derivation, with spelling like Erlich or Ehrlich, can be found in central European archive records from the High Middle Ages. The prevailing consensus is that the root of that surname comes from the Germanic word 'Ära', which means honour. Swedish 'Ärlig' means honest. In German, the suffix 'lich' is used to make an adjective from a verb, similar to the English suffix 'ly' (e.g., friendly). As such the meaning of the Germanic derivation of this surname would be honest or more probably 'respectable'.

However, this specific spelling and origin of the surname 'Erlić' is unique to Croatia. It can be traced at the National Archives in Zagreb. Marriage records, written in the Croatian language writing System, Glagolitic, show that this surname became hereditary in the late 1600's. The first recorded person in Croatia with that surname was Vule Nikola Erlić or possibly his father Mihovil whose marriage record from 1680 state that the name of his late father was Ikas Arlić from Ninski Dračevac. Mihovil had moved to Pridraga. Copies of these records are in the book 'Tinj, A Portrait in time of a Croatian Hamlet'.

As this area was relatively close to Turkish occupied areas in Croatia, there are also suggestions of a Turkish origin from the word 'ärdäm' meaning 'manliness, strength, virtue'. However, Turkish custom did not introduce surnames until the Atatürk's reforms and besides, they were mortal enemies at that time, so that hypothesis is unlikely.

The Croatian derivation of this surname is patronymic and the suffix 'ić' is used to produce an endearing name from the progenitor, similar to the English 'little', (e.g., little Robert). In surnames, this suffix is used in the same manner but mostly to name the father, as in 'son of', same as names like Robertson, McRobert or O'Reilly. Therefore Lukic means son of Luka; Perić, son of Pero; Ilić, son of Ilija; Marić, son of Marija; Klarić, son of Klara. There is speculation that Erlić could mean son of 'Jere' as linguistically the elision or omission of a sound is common and it seems to make sense to shorten Jerelić to Jerlić and then to Erlić when spoken. However, there is no record of a Jere in the family trees until fairly recently, although that could have been a nickname which is also common. There is also an old folk tradition that says that the name used to be pronounced 'Rlić' [r-lɪtʃ].

Note that previously the family name in the records had been Arlić. The reason for this change is unknown. There might be further records in the Venetian archives. All modern descendants with the name Erlić can trace their origin to Dujam Erlić who moved to Tinj in the late 1700's and from whom three main hereditary lines of the family name Erlić can be traced. The first ones to migrate outside Croatia were Andrea Erlić to America in the late 1800's, Nikola Erlić to Canada in the 1950's, Bozo Erlić to Sweden in the 1960's, Josip Erlić to Australia in the 1980's.

Erlić (Erlic) is a Croatian surname meaning 'honorable'. It may come from Jews in Austria.