culture
March 31, 2026
PIGLET, DEVIL, CUCKOOS AND PEPPER: In this Serbian village, everyone knows each other only by nicknames, so mailmen are in big trouble
If your path ever leads you through the Gornji Milanovac village of Donja Vrbava, located on the slopes of Rudnik, it will look like any other typical Serbian village, but unusual people live there. Only there can you meet Wild Boar, Devil, Wolf, Dogs, Cuckoos, Ram, Rabbit and Goat. How? Because here all the men are known exclusively by nicknames, often entire families get them, and they are even passed down from generation to generation as cultural heritage.
TL;DR
- In Donja Vrbava, a village near Gornji Milanovac, men are known only by nicknames, not their given names.
- These nicknames are often inherited by entire families and passed down through generations.
- Examples of nicknames include 'Wild Boar,' 'Devil,' 'Wolf,' and 'Rabbit.'
- The tradition leads to humorous situations, especially for mail carriers who need to learn who is who.
- A book has been published about this phenomenon, detailing over 200 nicknames among the village's 500 residents.
- Women are referred to by their husbands' nicknames.
- Some nicknames have origins dating back over a century, with one 'Turčin' (Turk) nickname stemming from a story about ancestors eating pork on Christmas Eve.
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