Introduction:

This project was started to discover as much as possible about the recent and ancient origins of the community with these Croatian surnames, as well to connect the community worldwide. In the sections below are cited quotes about etymology, history, language, and demography of the surnames with listed references.

Families differed from each other by lineage nicknames. To those who are informed that their ancestors came from the specific village(s) located in Ćićarija mountainous plateau in Istria County in Croatia is advisable to research and know the family lineage nickname, or genealogically by personal name and years of birth/death/marriage understand to which lineage nickname they belong. The project administrator and members could help you.

The surname is often considered of Croatian Vlachian origin which community was related with shepherding (Šimunović, 1985, pg. 193 / 1986, pg. 87 / 2008, pg. 101 / 2009, pg. 123), however, such a generalizing conclusion solely from the perspective of linguistics is very problematic because is ignoring the ambiguity and complexity of meaning of the term Vlach or Morlach through history and especially since the 16th century as well as Croatian origin and identity of individuals with the surname Poropat and Parapat, which have some "historical importance" (Ribarić, 2002, pg. 201).

Etymology:

Until today, the origin of the name Poropat remains obscure. According to the mainstream theory, the surname Poropat and its supposedly older form Parapat etymologically derive from an assumed Romanian language syntagm of two words fără (Rom. "without") – pat (Rom. "bed", which derives from Ancient Greek πάτος i.e. pátos, meaning "path", "walk", "ground", "floor"), which as "without bed" (Skok II, pg. 622 / Filipi, pg. 96) would be a family name of nickname origin meaning a nomad or migrant shepherd (Šimunović, pg. 87 / Poropat, pg. 35), which was a common lifestyle among Vlachs, but also South Slavs. Both forms Poropat and Parapat could be indicative that the surname was formed before the 15th century when the Slavs did not use the phoneme /f/ so it was transformed into /p/ or /v/. If the name truly came from Istro-Romanians, there would be no exchange of "f > p" (Filipi, pg. 96), but until now it was not found anywhere that the surname was recorded in such a form neither the existence of the syntagm. The surname probably would be one of numerous evidences of South Slavic acceptance and adaptation of Romance language vocabulary. The surname is not related to Istro-Romanians*. In local toponymy of Istria the surname can be found as Poropat, Poropati, Poropatovo, Poropatova, Poropatsko, Poropatski vrtal, Parapot, Parapotski vrtal (Orbanić, pg. 703, 711). The 19th century Slovenian historian Janez Parapat originating from Ćićarija also was recorded with base variation "para-" (Capuder, 2013).

According to other theories, the surname derives from Alpine German pronunciation of the word Parabat i.e. Parabatenreiterei (which derives from Ancient Greek παραβάτης i.e. parabates, meaning "infantryman who fights among horsemen"). However, although possible by philology, the Alpine German cultural influence in the 13th-14th century Middle Dalmatia is speculative (Ribarić, pg. 203-204); in the speculative form Parapetić would derive from parapet (Ita. parapetto, initially personal and later architectonic "parapet" i.e. "stone fence"), semantically it would be of nickname origin and have a phonetic transition (parapet > parapat), however, the fortification term was not used in Croatia in the 16th century (Putanec, pg. 143-144); to be related to medieval toponyms Prapat, Prapatnica, Prapratna, Prapratno, Prapratnik, Prapratnica, Paprati, Paprate, Papratnik, Prapruća etc. common in Eastern Adriatic deriving from plant Sl. "paprat/praprot/poaprat" (fern), while was recorded rare surname, Mladini and son Cressolo Prapratich/Papratich living near church of St. Križ in Zadar in 1387-1389 (Smičiklas, pg. 99-100 / Runje, pg. 119, 169 / Begonja, pg. 187), Franac, Nicola and Radoslauus Paprafich/Praprafich/Praprach de Cetina in 1400-1404 regarding events in Split (Lucius, pg. 516-519), and Stephanus Papratowych in Vrbovec in Križevac County and Wolffgangus and Thomas Paprathowych/Papratowych/Papratoych/Papratoich in Ostrna in Zagreb County between 1554 and 1596 (Adamček, Kampuš, 1976).

The suffix -ić or -ich in the surname Poropat in Istria for obscure reasons has oscillated and vanished over the centuries (Skok I, pg. 707 / Poropat, pg. 35). During the period of Italian rule (1918-1943) happened Italianization of the Croatian surnames, Poropat being written as Poretti (preserved in such form mainly in the city of Rovinj in Istria County, Croatia). This variation is an actual and unrelated Italian surname of a noble family and community mainly in Lombardy (Lombardia) region, and because of this fact and suspicion of data accuracy, anyone who bears this surname (Poretti) should provide relevant evidence his/her ancestors had a surname Poropat (although most probably did have almost all who live in Istria and Gulf of Trieste). In contemporary period the surname is preserved in the variations: Poropat, Poropatić, Poropatic, Poropatich, Parapatić, Parapatic, Parapatich, Parapatics, Parapatits, Parapatitsch, Paropatić, Poretti (with an exception).

* In old Petar Skok's etymology dictionary from 1971 (Skok I, pg. 327-328, 524), and few scientific studies or books by linguists Goran Filipi and Petar Šimunović, can be read literary topos that the surname is a testimony of Istro-Romanian language in Istria and as such there is an association of the surname Poropat and its people with the Istro-Romanians. However, that claim is not based on any research about the surname and as such with the association is ignored that the surname was not recorded among the Istro-Romanians who lived in a different part of Istria, spoke a different Croatian dialect, had a different historical migration, and in local speech where is recorded surname Poropat there is almost no preserved Romanian word hence the theory contradicts several demographic, historical, etymological, and dialectological i.e. onomastic premises. Josip Ribarić and August Kovačec were right when stated that the few Romanian words, including Poropat, "are not necessarily loanwords from Romanian Ćići who used to be in Northern Istria but may be a linguistic treasure from the old homeland" (Ribarić, pg. 153) and "wide representation of surnames ... Poropat even outside of the Istrian area (including the derived variations) suggests that they could have been borrowed in the Croatian language already somewhere in Dalmatia, and not necessarily from the Istro-Romanian in Istria" (Kovačec, pg. 83).

History:

Poropat:

Probably the earliest mention of the surname in Dalmatia can be traced in the Zadar sources at the end of the 14th century where some Poropati are reportedly recorded as part of the Morlach katun of voivode Butco Brancich who was de genere/catuno Sopkovac/Sopković (Juran, pg. 47 / Ančić, pg. 97-100 / Majnarić, pg. 26). In the beginning of the 15th century, Morlach brothers Vlatko and Stojslav Poropatić already lived in the city of Zadar, while in the end of the century in 1499, is mentioned Tomo Poropatić's widow Košuta with her stepson Grdan Poropatić who lived in Artikovo Selo which is nearby today's Murvice near Zadar (Juran, pg. 48). The surname is mentioned again in Ottoman 1530 defter when cemaat-i, roughly a group of organized people, led by Yako Propat [Jakov Poropat] included seven villages with a church of St. Juraj in Nahiye Zrmanja, which were settled by Vlachs of Istrian Vilayet which was part of Croatian Vilayet. The terms "Vlach" and "Morlach" in Ottoman and Venetian documents were of a social-professional and regional rather than ethnic meaning while in Venetian documents especially an umbrella term for all Slavic people in the hinterland of Dalmatian cities and for immigrants in Istria, including Croats. They previously immigrated to Istria and now temporarily returned to Northern Dalmatia where had old estates (OBH, pg. 258 / NBH, pg. 75). These migrations are related to the Ottoman conquest of Northern Dalmatia until 1520s because of which the native Croatian population which did not remain, perish or was taken into slavery, decided to emigrate overseas to regions of Italy and Istria (Antoljak, pg. 108 / Pavičić, pg. 114-115, 246-248 / Hrabak, pg. 69-100). In the Ottoman defter from the same year was also recorded Vlach knez Ivanis Propat in Nahiye Ostrovica (NHB, pg. 90). In other contemporary historical sources for Northern Dalmatia the surname was recorded in the Venetian part of Northern Dalmatia along coastal settlements and islands near Zadar and Ravni Kotari implying if weren't already settled there that they emigrated from presumable old estates in Bukovica; 1560 in village Tkon on island Pašman was recorded Lucas Poropatich, 1562 in Režani of Novigrad district was recorded Jakov Poropatić, 1571 in Tkon was Georgium Poropatich q. Georgij, while surname Poropatić was recorded in 1608 in Tkon and Ljubač (Anzulović, pg. 290). In 1610 in Ljubač was mentioned Surco [Surko] Poropatich with a wife and two sons (Jelić, pg. 569 / Dundović, pg. 299). In 1623 from some Poropatich family was bought a domain in Zadar to be used as a garden for a certain church or chapel (Fonda, pg. 204). In 1624 Ivan Paropatić from Baška on the island of Krk helped paying the debt of another person to a shoemaker in Šibenik (Juran, pg. 287). In 1637 in the parish of Zadar Cathedral was baptized Turk (Muslim), Ivan, whose parents Kurta and Katarina Poropatić came from village Biljane (Dundović, pg. 217). In the 17th and 18th century in Tkon were active few Glagolitic Catholic scribes; Grgo Poropatić in 1670, Pere Poropatić in 1694, and Bare Poropatić in 1709 (Cvitanović, pg. 231). In village of Krmčine near Turanj the Glagolitic scribe and župnik was, perhaps the same previous person, Grgo Paropatić (1670, 1680; Rube-Filipi, pg. 434). In the 17th century the surname Paropatich was recorded in Kaštela near Split (Alfirević, pg. 61-62), while the surname Poropatich is also recorded 1674 in a notebook of the Senj Kaptol (Bogović, pg. 180). Among the native priests of Tkon is counted Bartolomeo Poropatich in 1715 (Bianchi, pg. 131). In the Glagolitic Catholic documents of the fraternity of St. Jerolim and St. Sacrament at Vlašići on the island of Pag were recorded Grgo Poropatić or Paropatić and his son Mate Poropatić (1710, 1717, 1724 1775-1777; Franov-Živković, pg. 332, 343-345). In the Roman Catholic church registers from the same island at village of Novalja are recorded few individuals with the surname Paropatich in late 18th century, while in registers of Lovreć in Southern Dalmatia in mid 18th and early 19th century are recorded some families with surname Poropat but they came from Baderna in Istria (Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994). All these dates are from the period when the migration to Istria already happened and as such it could imply some members remained in the area from where others traveled to Istria. Some historians consider that those Istrian Vlachs were not part of Herzegovinian or Stari Vlah tribes or from Ottoman Empire territory yet they were natives from Dalmatia and slopes of Velebit and Dinara mountains, but that's another and complex issue because Dinaric Alps population was always related and connected (Pavičić, pg. 114 / Buzov, pg. 244-245).

The earliest mention of the surname in Istria is at least from 4 December 1526 when was recorded Ferchus [Ferko] Poropatich in Sv. Vital near Vižinada (Direzione "Senato Mare", pg. 108 / Schiavuzzi, pg. 94). Among Catholic priests who served in the Parish of St. Anton near Koper in Slovenia was Mathias Poropatich since 1571 and 1582-1590 (Gak, 107-108). In 1586, the surname Poropatich is mentioned in the area of Dvigrad (Bertoša, pg. 187). In 1588, župan and inhabitants of village Vodice along some Poropat family members from near village of Dane in Ćićarija made a common limekiln (Direzione "Capo D'Istria", pg. 413-414). The earliest connection with Istria was possibly recorded somewhere in old Glagolitic documents when certain voivode Poropat sued Venice gents because they deceived him. He "spilled blood with his own people (probably in Dalmatia [against Ottomans]), because they had promised him beautiful lands, yet when came to Istria, nothing" (Laginja, pg. 122 / Poropat, pg. 35). The assumption that the surname arrived at Istria in the early 16th century is also based on a report from 1594 by Rašpor captain who sent it to Venice due to an affair between Morlachs and Poreč diocese, when the Morlachs did not want to pay tax to the diocese, "although seventy or eighty years ago [1514-1524] their ancestors came barefoot, naked and poor to this land, now possess such wealth that they do not give up to rich vassals of this Serenissimo Dominio, because the capo Giorgio Poropatich [chief Juraj Poropatić], as one can know from a highly-respected Lord Pietro Gradenigo [Rašpor captain] and many others, earned thousands of ducats..." (Franceschi, pg. 369-370 / Ribarić, pg. 202).

In 1580 was sent a request by capitano Zorzi or Giorgio [Juraj] Poropat(ich), a Croato who many years ago left his lands in then Ottoman occupied Dalmatia and entered Venetian military service fighting against the Turks and Martolos losing in the process three sons who were also in the service, in which asked the Venetian representatives in Zadar to be transferred with his family to Istria. In 1585 he moved with his family and 33 other families to village Frata near Poreč (Luca, pg. 85, 118-119 / ASV, Collegio, Suppliche, Risposte di fuori, filza 77, 386). In 1589 the Senat of Istria approved the previously annulled granted lands in village Frata to Giorgio Poropatich and they remained (Direzione "Senato Mare", pg. 57 / Schiavuzzi, pg. 111 / Luca, pg. 118-119). Carlo De Franceschi in the late 19th century erroneously claimed that in the same village on a "torchio" (olive press) was a coat of arms of captain Marco Poropat with a sign of the year 1590 and Marco's family allegedly had a lineage nickname "Cernogoraz" (Franceschi, pg. 358). Marco was son of the same Giorgio Poropatich (Schiavuzzi, pg. 111 / ASV, Collegio, Suppliche, Risposte di fuori, filza 352, 386). Besides the fact the family's coat of arms was actually on the lintel of family's "frantoio" and dated to 1596, on the false nickname "Cernogoraz" was based an erroneous conclusion that Poropat families came from Montenegro (Franceschi, pg. 358), but it is completely unfounded because Poropatich family in Frata like other Poropat families in Istria have a confirmed Dalmatian origin and certainly were Croats according to the historical sources (ASV, Collegio, Suppliche, Risposte di fuori, filza 386 / Brhan, pg. 92), which is also confirmed by G. F. Tomasini the Bishop of Novigrad who in mid-17th century wrote that the inhabitants of Frata and two near villages came seventy years ago from Dalmatia and Biograd na Moru fleeing the Turkish threat (Tomasini, pg. 405), while the nickname cannot be confirmed in primary sources because it was an error mistaking it with a local surname Cernogoraz recorded at least since 17th century and as such the hypothesis about the Montenegrin origin is confirmed to be a "nonsensical claim" (Poropat, pg. 32). In 1592 is recorded Luca Poropat as a new inhabitant of Novigrad (Luca, pg. 128). Between 1598-1609 in Frata are mentioned Giorgio's sons and captains Marco and Zuanne who also died during military service and the last surviving son Georgio with his descendants and sisters (ASV, Collegio, Suppliche, Risposte di fuori, filza 350, 352, 362, 386).

According to the Glagolitic documents, between 1599 and 1613 Miho Poropatić and Gašpar Poropatić were župans while Pavle Poropatić was podžup of the Confraternity of the St. Anton in Vabriga near Poreč (Milčetić, pg. 412-414). In a list from 1614 about working cattle in settlement Puntera near Barban, were recorded Antonio Poropat and Nicolo Poropat. Considering that at the time was beginning of Uskok War, it is possible those individuals migrated from Northern to Southern Istria (Poropat, pg. 33). In 1653 in Vabriga the curate was Zuanne Poropatich whose probably the same-named person mentioned with year 1657 on Church tabernacle of St. Blažene Djevice Marije (Zajec, pg. 352), while in Frata the župan was Zorzi Poropatich (Miculian, pg. 436). Because of the decrease of population in Poreč in the 17th century, the settlers from near villages started to be accepted in the city council, among whom in 1657-1658 were brothers Giorgio and Marco Poropatich from Preseka i.e. Frata (Žic, pg. 385 / Radossi, 361). On 24 August 1685 was confirmed their aggregation of citizenship (Direzione "Senato Mare", pg. 22). In February 1655, the direct line of previously mentioned capitano Zorzi Poropatich, grandfather of brothers Zorzi and Marco, held the title as "governatori di Frata" because he transferred more than 173 families from Dalmatia (of which 150 from Poljica) and many other deeds as well as loyalty during his lifetime (ASV, Collegio, Suppliche, Risposte di fuori, filza 350, 414). On 23 August 1661, following the plea of Giorgio Poropatich, one of the inhabitants of Vabriga and Frata, it is narrated that in the first of these villas, at their own expense, they had an olive press (Direzione "Senato Mare", pg. 35). On 15 April 1662, in a letter by the charge of Capodistria there were complaints by Nicolo Poropat because he was deprived of two horses loaded with salt by the ministers on the Venetian part although he was far away from the Austrian boundary (Direzione "Senato Mare", pg. 37). In the area of Dvigrad is mentioned Zuane Poropat in 1682 and 1695, Ioannes Poropat in 1700, Iacobus Poropat in 1726 and 1740, and Martin Poropat alias Jelouaz in 1738 (Bertoša, pg. 195, 197, 200). In register (1709) of Fratija, a feudal estate of the Benedictine monastery of Sv. Mihovil nad Limom (St. Michael over Lim, San Michele di Leme, today in ruins) is recorded Jure Poropat, and the surname is recorded until 1772, between 1769 and 1772 were recorded three families, and the surname was preserved in the area until 1945 apropos this day (Klen, 98-101). This lineage could be descended from Marco Poropat mentioned in 1590 if he or his descendants migrated from Frata to Fratija (Poropat, pg. 32), however, Marco's family allegedly became extinct by then (Franceschi, pg. 358). The surname Poropat is recorded in Pula since 1740 and 1758 (Bertoša, pg. 84-85). According to the 1796 census made in Venice, Ivan of Antun Poropat, Jure of Antun Poropat, Šime of Matija Poropat and Martin of Luka Poropat from Kras [Ćićarija] villages were soldiers in personal company of Venetian Colonel Vicko Michieli Viturri (Čoralić, pg. 395).

The existence of the surname in the Istrian peninsula and Ćićarija plateau is confirmed since early 16th century. There are two theories about their primary location of residence in Istria after migration. According to the first is argued that because the people were adapted to the pastoral lifestyle they changed their residence after arrival in South-Western Istria because of an abundance of pasture in mountainous Northern Istria (Ćićarija), and over the centuries happened reverse migration. This consideration is based on the fact that several surnames, including Poropat, are mentioned in the 16th century in South-Western Istria. However, the migration from Southern to Northern Istria is not recorded in historical documents nor folk memories (Ribarić, pg. 70, 80-81, 202). According to the second is argued the process of migration has gone the other way round as the shepherds spent the winter near the coast, where men and women married, and migrated after selling estates in Northern Istria like in the case of pre and post WW I&II migration. That rather, as some documents show, the shepherds from South-Western Istria moved for temporary pasture to Ćićarija, and was unlikely someone would voluntarily move from South-Western coastal to Northern mountainous part of Istria with more harsh lifestyle and climate (Poropat, pg. 34). If they first came to Northeastern Istria then probably went through Modruš and Pivka (Pavičić, pg. 115). The DNA testing could give an insight into the difference or sameness of descendants of the Poropat families from South-Western and Northern Istria although most probably cannot be proven because of regional migrations since the World War II. It is assumed that from Dalmatia immigrated many related families who were already distant cousins by the time of migration, something which could be proved or disapproved with Y-DNA testing.

Parapat:

The surname variation Parapatić probably has a simultaneous early mention because it is recorded in a charter by Nikola IV Frankopan about the foundation of church of Saint Mary in today's Crikvenica, released in Modruš on 14 August 1412, among which signing witnesses of nobilibus viris (noblemen) is mentioned Joanne Parapatich [Ivan Parapatić] (Sokol, Galović, pg. 19). However, it has been found that the foundational charter is a diplomatic forgery, but with a solid historical core (Sokol, Galović, pg. 3). In the urbar of the city of Ozalj (1642-1682) for the village Modrušpotok is recorded surname Parapatić among others who reportedly arrived from area of Modruš (Perušić, pg. 39, 42). On 10 October 1621, the noble title and coat of arms were confirmed to Michael Parapatich who had brother Johannes and wife Katharina Strelecz (Bojčić, pg. 140). On 19 June 1638, in the division of the estate and the Čakovec fortress between Petar IV and Nikola VII Zrinski, were mentioned Wolffgangus Parapatich with 8 sessiones and Caspar Parapatich with 9 sessiones and 1 1/2 quartale of land around Čakovec (Gyulai, Horvath, Turbuly, pg. 93, 158). They were comitis junioris devenissent summmalistae which is a noble title class that served the feudal landowners, but were free with many lands and instead of themselves they sent hussars to war (Gyulai, Horvath, Turbuly, pg. 41-42). In the 17th century, N. Parapatich was the first wife of Ferenczet Patachich de Zajezda (Nagy, pg. 140). On 11 January 1647 in Čakovec was released letter by Farkas Parapatich in which mentions Croatian nobles Miklós Patačić and Petar IV Zrinski (Szerémi, pg. 163-164). He and his wife Juditha Darabost were mentioned in 1649 and 1663 (Szerémi, pg. 173, 218). In 1671 is mentioned rittmaister Parapatitsch as one among many regarding the Magnate Zrinski-Frankopan conspiracy (Lopašić, pg. 126). In a 1720 court document signed by Emperor Charles VI Habsburg at Laxenburg regarding the estate of Druškovec is recorded Kristina Skaricza who was the daughter of Krištof Druskoczy and Helena Parapatich (Šavor, pg. 339).

The village toponym Parapatić Brig or Parapatićev Brig (in Hung. Parapatics or Parapatics Brig, in Deu. Parapatitschberg) in Austria (Burgenland, in Hrv. Gradišće) is one of the several villages in the district of Weiden bei Rechnitz (in Hrv. Bandol) later collectively called as Vlahia (in Hrv. Vlahija), and were collected four folk songs from the village (Kurelac, pg. XVI, 52, 148-149, 263-264). F. Kurelac in the late 19th century wrongly loosely supposed that the migration dated from the 17th century and they allegedly came from Bosnia as Greek Orthodox (Ribarić, pg. 203 / Skok I, pg. 524), because according to scientific research the migration clearly happened in the mid-16th century from the area of Dalmatia, Lika and Western Bosnia, while historically as well linguistically they could not have been of Greek Orthodox faith (Rittig, pg. 135-136 / Brabec, pg. 277-278). Some consider that the recognition of colonial oikonym like Parapatić Brig among others "helps to determine from which place Croats came" (Šimunović, 2009, pg. 112), and somehow could indicate "Vlach population" of "royal Vlachs" from southern Lika and Krbava (Šimunović, 2008, pg. 85-86). However, the surname seemingly was not present in the regional historical sources neither those mentioning Vlachs. The surname Parapatić (Parapatitsch, Parapatisch) was recorded since 1613 in Kohfindisch when Georg Parapatic owned 3 sessiones, and in 1630/1640 was mentioned Parapatichok lakóhelyek (Parapatich's dwellings) founded by Johann Parapatitsch. They supposedly were influential persons who may have founded the settlement (Albert Schuch, 2001 / Breu, pg. 65). In 1688 the surname was recorded in Weiden and Podgorje and once again Georg Parapatisch with three sessiones (Breu, pg. 62). The village Parapatić Brig is possibly recorded since 1593 as Perepatic Berg (Dobrovich, pg. 37), then again since 1676, in 1691 (Parapatic), 1693 (Mons Parapaticz) (*Gemeinde Weiden bei Rechnitz), 1697 (Putanec, pg. 143), and most probably was named after holders of the same surname (Poropat, pg. 36). In the work Magyar országnak leírása by Vályi András, Parapatics is recorded as a Croatian and Catholic village under lordship of Count Erdody (1796, pg. 111 / 1799, pg. 21). Today the surname is recorded in Oberpodgoria, Podler, Althodis (Putanec, pg. 143).

In 1745, in a register of marriages of the parish Sv. Filipa i Jakova (St. Phillip and Jacob), were recorded Catharina Parapatich and Georgius Parapatich baptized in parish Trnovo, while their partners in parish Oštarije, both villages located in Karlovac County, and they were without permanent residence (Zajc, pg. 267). In 1751, is recorded lieutenant Parapatich regarding Kostajnica (Gavrilović, pg. 501). In the 18th and 19th century, families with surname variation Parapatić and Poropatić are recorded in Roman Catholic church registers (Croatia, Church Books, 1516-1994). In 1758, in the city of Pula was baptized Marija, daughter of Tomo Poropat who was allegedly a Romani and his wife Elena from Carniola (Bertoša, pg. 70). In the first part of the 20th century, a newspaper report from Omiš recorded surname Parapat (Ribarić, pg. 203). In the early 20th century there were few Romani people with the surname Parapat in Krbune according to Ivan Mandić, then parson of Kaštelir in Istria (Ribarić, pg. 203). They lived in Istria at the end of the 19th century, and in 1937 census lived three families with surname Poropat, one family in Umag, Pazin, and Labin (Dukovski, pg. 238-239). In 1938, four people with the surname were transferred to Nuoro and Sassari in Sardinia by Italian authorities (Dukovski, pg. 243). Outside Istria, many Romani with the surname Parapatić from municipality Lasinja, Topusko, Pisarovina, Dežanovac, Garešnica, as well with surname Poropatić (sometimes recorded as Paropatić) from municipality Glina, Petrinja have vanished during NDH (Baić, pg. 284, 445-446, 448-449, 759 / Jusp Jasenovac). The reason for the emergence of the surnames in Romani community is unknown, presumably, the occurence is due to the marriage of individuals to that community and sometimes wrong ethnonational and social identification of the individual.

Currently, we can suppose that the noble Parapatić family from Northern Croatia had a branch in Burgenland, and it's unclear their historical connection to the contemporary community with the surname Parapatić (Jastrebarsko, Daruvar, Sisak) and Poropatić (e.g. around Bjelovar, Glina, Petrinja) from the region of Banovina and Western Slavonia. We can assume that these family branches together with Dalmatian-Istrian branch of Poropat/ić separated before the 16th century. In this indefinite period (Time) presumably lived the most recent common ancestor (MRCA), i.e. TMRCA, of all surname branches. This assumption can be confirmed or rejected by Y-DNA testing as it can give an insight into whether all families have a common ancestor and were a related community or do not have a common ancestor and were unrelated communities but with very similar surnames.

Language:

The surname was very common in villages of "Vodice oasis" of the Chakavian-Shtokavian dialect with Ikavian accent in the Ćićarija plateau. This dialect is widespread in South-Western Istria, hence called as Southwestern Istrian dialect, where the surname also appears (Ribarić, pg. 70, 75, 201). It is a transitional dialect between Southern Chakavian and Western Shtokavian dialect which was spoken at the end of the 15th, during the 16th and the first half of the 17th century on the Dalmatian mainland, and its Shtokavian component is argued to have originated somewhere from area North of river Cetina in Dalmatia, near the area of origin of Molise Croats (Ribarić, pg. 67-68), specifically the area of Makarska Riviera (Podbiokovlje) and Zabiokovlje (Lisac, pg. 149-150). Seemingly the first wave which settled around Frata and Vabriga in Istria spoke Southern Chakavian dialect with Ikavian-Ekavian accent. In Burgenland (Gradišće) the surname was common where people spoke the similar Western Shtokavian dialect with Ikavian accent once found near the confluence of river Una with the Sava in today's Northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of Croatian Kingdom), which does not imply that specific groups could not have arrived from other parts of today's Croatia more specifically from Dalmatia in their migration to the North (Neweklowsky, pg. 433, 461). The "Vodice oasis" has a very similar dictionary to the Burgenland Croatian based on Chakavian dialect (Poropat, pg. 36-37), also shared with Northern Chakavian and has many Chakavian autochthonisms (Lisac, 2009., pg. 51-72). The surname is specific because nevertheless the assumed Romanian etymological origin, in both Istria and Burgenland the community where the surname was recorded did not preserve almost any Romanian word indicating that the surname community since the recording period was Slavic or completely Slavicized but not bilingual (Putanec, pg. 146 / Poropat, pg. 35-36).

Demography:

According to registers from the year 1911 and 1945, there were so many Poropat families (Ribarić pg. 52, 76-77 / Poropat pg. 29-36):

Within Chakavian-Shtokavian oasis:

Dane: 33 – 35

Trstenik: 33 – 28

Vodice: 14 – 14

Jelovice: 4 – 6

Rašpor: 6 (already in 1911 permanently inhabited around Rovinj and Poreč)

Outside Chakavian-Shtokavian oasis:

Lanišće: 6 – 16

Klenovšćak: 1 – 1

Prapoće: 1 (1945)

Municipality Poreč:

In 1945, out of 50 families were inhabited in Smolići (13), Poreč (6), Kirmenjak (5), 3 families in Funtana and Valkarin, 2 families in Košutići, Vrsar, Matulini, Stancija Padovan, and 1 family in Radovani, Radoši, Kloštar, Crlenki, Tar, Baldaši, Danci, Ohnići, Vranje Selo, Dračevac, Jasenovica, Preseka.

Total in Istria: 257 families in 58 settlements (1945), of whom many in Southernwestern Istria descended from only eight Northern Istrian villages which 107 families at the time made at least 42% of them all.

According to surname lexicon (1976) of SR Croatia: related surname Poropatić families were recorded in Karlovac (1), Maja near Glina (3), Modruš-Potok Mali near Ogulin (3), Netretić near Karlovac (4), Zadoborje near Karlovac (1), Zagreb (1); Poropadić were recorded in Gudovac near Bjelovar (3); Parapatić were recorded in Donja Bačuga near Glina (7), and 1 family in Dugo Selo near Vrginmost, Oriovac near Slavonski Brod, Sisak, Taborište near Petrinja, Uljanik Gornji near Daruvar.

In 2001 census, the surname Poropat was 737. most numerous surname in Croatia with 834 occurrences (Šimunović, 2008, pg. 125). In 2011 census, the surname Poropat had 757 occurrences, Poropatić (112), Parapatić (57). 

In contemporary time, following the post WW I&II and other socio-economical events which led to many migrations, the most numerous communities with the surname Poropat are in Croatia (cities of Rovinj, Pula, Rijeka, Poreč), Slovenia (Koper), Italy (Trieste), United States (also as Poropatich, Poropatic), Argentina, Australia, Hungary (Parapatics), Austria (Parapatits), Canada, Sweden.

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