Blaz

The first name Blaz, also known as Blaž, represents the Croatian and Slovenian variant of the ancient Roman and Latin name Blasius.

What does the name Blaz mean?

Blaz, or Blaž, is the Croatian and Slovenian form of the Latin name Blasius. It derives from the Latin term 'blaesus', meaning 'lisping' or 'stammering'. The popularity of the name is closely linked to the veneration of Saint Blasius of Sebaste (Sveti Blaž iz Sebaste), who died as a martyr during the Christian persecutions in the early 4th century. In Croatia and Slovenia, Blaž is a widely used boy's name. International variants of Blasius include Balázs (Hungarian), Biagio, Biaggo, and Biago (Italian), Blai (Catalan), Blaise (French), Blas (Spanish), Blase (English), Blazej (Polish, Czech, Slovak), Blažiejus (Lithuanian), and Vlas (Russian).

Where does the name Blaz come from?

The etymology of Blaz points to a masculine first name of Latin origin, meaning 'the Lisping' or 'the Stammering'. The Latin term consists of 'blaesus', which means 'lisping' or 'stammering'. The name is common in Yugoslav, Croatian, Slavic, Slovenian, and South Slavic languages.

How do you pronounce Blaz?

The sound and pronunciation of the name Blaz is monosyllabic and concise. It is typically pronounced as 'Blas' [blaːz] or [blats]. The consonant cluster at the end creates a noticeable tension. The dark, open 'a' in the center gives the name substance, while the voiced or hard ending provides a distinct final accent. This makes Blaz powerful and independent – short and with a clearly defined expression.

When is the name day of Blaz?

The central name day for Blaž is celebrated on February 3rd, in remembrance of Saint Blasius of Sebaste.

Popularity

In Germany, Blaz is a rather rare name and has not found significant mention in local name popularity lists. In Austria, Blaz reached its best ranking at 1,720th place in the name charts in 2019. In the last ten years, the name has been given less than 10 times there, placing it at 4,431st in the ten-year statistics. Between 1984 and 2024, Blaz ranks 6,220th in Austria.

Famous people

• Blaz Arnic (Slovenian composer)
• Blaz Blagotinsek (Slovenian handball player)
• Blaz Cresnar (Slovenian basketball player)
• Blaz Gregorc (Yugoslav ice hockey player)
• Blaz Jakopic (Alpine skier from Peru)
• Blaz Mahkovic (Slovenian basketball player)
• Blaz Medvesek (swimmer from Slovenia)
• Blaz Mesicek (basketball player from Slovenia)
• Blaz Sliskovic (footballer from Bosnia and Herzegovina)