Imena i imendani: obiteljski imenar

The book Names and Name Days: A Family Name Book (Imena i imendani: obiteljski imenar) by Antun Jarm is a comprehensive and highly practical onomastic, liturgical, and spiritual handbook designed for families and anyone interested in the origins and meanings of personal names. In this work, the author combines linguistic heritage, Christian tradition, and liturgical calendar observances, creating an essential guide to the richness of Croatian and general Christian naming traditions. The core of the book consists of an alphabetical list of numerous male and female names. For each name, Jarm provides an explanation of its roots and etymological meaning—whether of Old Croatian, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or Germanic origin—alongside references to saints and blesseds who bore that name or related ones. A particular strength of the work lies in its precise linking of names to dates in the Catholic calendar, making it easy for readers to find and celebrate name days. Written in an accessible and clear style, the book serves not only a popular-educational purpose but also a significant family function—ranging from assisting parents in choosing a name for a newborn to fostering the family tradition of celebrating name days. Antun Jarm’s Names and Name Days is a valuable guardian of family and religious identity.