On birth records I am reviewing it appears there is a witness section titled:

porodično i rođeno ima prijavitelja

Using a translator app I interpret this to mean:

family and has born applicants

Many records may have the surname I am looking for in this section even though the parents have a different surname. Is it safe to assume when I see a family name listed under the witness section that means perhaps they are related in some manner to one of the parents? How was one traditionally selected to sign as a witness? Lastly, the comment section (as in the example) what type of information was that used for?

I am confused by the listing of names on this birth certificate. Anyone that can decipher it - your assistance is appreciated.

First is a birth record, three columns are information on the parents, father, mother. The fourth column is the note area, where it is listed that this individual Smiljanić Marko born in 1895. died in 1972. . I will re post the image with translation of all fields.

Second record is an example of I guess a paternity wrongly identified (Lončar Milivoj first entered as the father), and that was changed to father Vesić Dane. Probably later registration of marriage or paternity since there is a note that cites the evidence for this change as another entry in the vital records from year 1919.

Often such mistakes in the original records were only discovered when people either died or wanted to get married and the priest looked up the original birth entrry for the first time.

Thank you for the clarification!