A contribution to the study of the reflex of the saint’s name Ilija in Croatian anthroponymy

Sa？etak This paper provides an overview of the reflex of the name Ilija, one of the rare Old Testament names which have been recorded in continuity from the Middle Ages until the present time throughout the Croatian national territory. Special focus was placed on the area between the rivers Neretva and Bojana. In the first part of the paper this personal name is analyzed from the point of view of Slavic mythology (i.e., the relationship between St. Ilija and St. Perun), and older reflexes in toponymy are given. In the second part, historical confirmation is given as well as data on the distribution of this name, first of all in the Croatian historical territories and among members of other South Slavic nations