Hrvat

Hrvat is the term used in Croatian to refer to a person of Croatian ethnicity or nationality. In Croatian, the noun denotes a citizen of Croatia as well as a member of the Croatian people; in English, the corresponding term is Croat.

The etymology of Hrvat is uncertain. The ethnonym is first attested in early medieval sources from the 9th to the 10th century, such as the work known as De Administrando Imperio. Some scholars link the name to a medieval South Slavic tribe or to a personal name; others suggest a broader Proto-Slavic origin. The term became established in the medieval and early modern periods and underpins the modern Croatian national identity.

Historically, Croats settled in areas that are now parts of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and neighboring regions. They formed early political entities in Dalmatia and Pannonia and later became part of the Kingdom of Croatia in union with Hungary. In the 20th century, Croats were among the constituent peoples of Yugoslavia; after 1991, Croats established the independent Republic of Croatia. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croats are a recognized constituent people alongside Bosniaks and Serbs.

In the Croatian language, Hrvat is the masculine singular; feminine is Hrvatica, and plural is Hrvati. The adjective is hrvatski and the language is Hrvatski; the country is Hrvatska. In other languages, the exonym Croat is used.

Today, Croats are concentrated in Croatia, with the majority of the population. Significant communities exist in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly in Herzegovina and western Croatia, and smaller communities in Serbia, Montenegro, and among the Croatian diaspora in Europe, North America, and Australia.