Bjelica

Bjelica is a Serbian and Montenegrin surname, mostly found in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to a lesser extent in Croatia. The surname is derived from the historical clan region of Bjelice, in Old Montenegro. Émigrés from Bjelice, in order to preserve their origin, adopted the tribal name as surname instead of their own original family or brotherhood (srb. bratstvo) surname; this took place in the 18th and 19th centuries. The vast majority of bearers of the surname are Eastern Orthodox (Serbian Orthodox Church) and declare as ethnic Serbs and Montenegrins, although there are some Muslims (Bosniaks) and Catholics (Croats) with the surname. Most of the Orthodox maintain the tradition of slava (patron saint veneration) of St. John the Baptist (Jovanjdan) - other slavas are present as well (such as St Paraskevi, i.e. St Petka).

It may refer to the following people:

• Dimitrije Bjelica, b.1935, Serbian chess FIDE Master and journalist.
• Isidora Bjelica, b. 1967, Serbian prose writer.
• Nemanja Bjelica, b.1988, Serbian basketball player.
• Milko Bjelica, b.1984, Serbian-born Montenegrin basketball player.
• Novica Bjelica, b.1983, Serbian volleyball player.
• Milan Bjelica, b. 1956, Deputy Chief of Serbian General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces.
• Nenad Bjelica, b.1971, retired Croatian footballer.
• Ana Bjelica, b.1992, Serbian volleyball player.

References

• Dragutin R. Bjelica, Bjelice, kazivanja o plemenu i bratstvima, Beograd, 1996
• Jovan Erdeljanović, Stara Crna Gora: Etnička prošlost i formiranje crnogorskih plemena, Beograd, 1978