Crljenac

Crljenac is a surname of Croatian origin. It is found among Croats in Croatia and in Croatian communities abroad. As a family name, it is relatively uncommon and appears in historical and contemporary records. The precise etymology is not definitively established; it may derive from toponymic roots in parts of Croatia or from older naming practices typical of the region, but there is no single authoritative explanation. In modern contexts, bearers of the name have been recorded in a range of occupations and regions, reflecting the dispersal of Croatian populations in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In addition to its use as a surname, Crljenac appears in viticultural contexts as a variant referring to a historic Croatian grape cultivar known as Crljenak Kašić. This cultivar is genetically identical to what is widely known as Zinfandel in the United States and Primitivo in Italy. The naming variations arose from regional and linguistic usage rather than from distinct varieties, and they reflect the cross-cultural history of grape cultivation in the Adriatic region.