Hello Leo,

You need to find out from where you father and mother came, and their dates of birth. Then you can start your research.

As for learning Serbo-Croation I suggest you use the link on our site for SpeakSerbian.

Pavlovic is still a common name in Serbia so I guess you still have a lot of family there.

Let me know if you need more.

WELL I HAVE A SMALL PROBLEM. I HAVEN'T SEEN OR SPOKEN WITH MY FATHER IN 44 YEARS. SO I DO NEED ALL THE HELP THAT YOU CAN GIVE ME. THANKS

You should check with EllisIsland for the immigration records if you can't have contact with your father anymore. But I always advice to ask family because they always have a treasure of information. You can find EllisIsland http://www.ellisisland.org/default.asp

Hi, Leo!

Like Sergej said, we're going to need just a little more info in order to be able to help you. PAVLOVIC' is a surname of Serbian origin, but this doesn't mean your ancestors necessarily came to wherever you are today from Serbia. You say Yugoslavia, but do you mean the Kingdom, the Socialist Federative Republic (the 50 yr period of socialist rule of which Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia were all a part) or the Yugoslavia which is today Serbia and Montenegro? Surely, you must have heard mention of a town or even region where your father was born? His full name, yr of birth, etc would also help and you could get all that from your own birth certificate. Also, do you recal mention of your aunts and uncles on that side and their names?
Pavlovic' isn't exactly a rare surname in these parts and there are branches of the family throughout Serbia, some in Montenegro, at least one branch in Croatia and probably in other former YU states. Looking for a PAVLOVIC in the former YU would be like looking for someone with the last name ROBERTS in the entire states of California and New York together (and then some). You're bound to come up with at least a few thousand people!
As a matter of fact, I just checked and there are aproximately 800 Pavlovices listed in the phone book for Belgrade alone!!!
Any additional info would certainly help narrow your search.
Best of luck-
Danica
The Serbian Genealogy Foundation

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE GAVEN ME. MY FATHER WAS BORN IN LOS ANGLES CALIFORNIA. I DON'T REMEMBER HIM SPEAKING ABOUT ANYONE FROM YUGOSLAVIA. I DON'T KNOW ANYONE ON MY FATHERS SIDE OF THE FAMILY. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT MY MOTHER TOLD ME THAT WE ARE YUGOSLAVIAN. IT HAS BEEN OVER 50 YEARS SINCE MY FATHERS SIDE OF THE FAMILY CAME TO AMERICA. EVERYONE HAS SPEAKING OF THE LAST NAME (PAVLOVIC), BUT MY LAST NAME IS (PAVLOVICH). I KNOW THAT THE PAVLOVICH NAME IS ALSO RUSSIAN. I MADE SURE THAT MY LAST NAME IS YUGOSLAVIAN. I WILL TRY FINDING WHAT I NEED THROUGH MY FATHERS NAME (OF WHICH IS THE SAME AS MINE), AND BY HIS DATE OF BIRTH FROM MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE. AGAIN THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HELP. LEO L. PAVLOVICH, JR.

THE ONLY INFORMATION THAT I HAVE FOUND IS THIS. FATHERS NAME LEO LOUIS PAVLOVICH, DOB 1933 BORN IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. THAT IS ALL I HAVE. I WISH I HAD MORE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. LEO PAVLOVICH

I FOUND SOME NEW INFORMATION. I FOUND MY FATHER ON THE INTERNET. HE TOLD ME THAT ALL OF OUR FAMILY HAS DIED. THE LAST TIME THAT HE HAS SPOKEN WITH ANYONE WAS 20 YEARS AGO. THE INFORMATION THAT HE GAVE ME IS THAT WE CAME FROM A TOWN CALLED (BUBRONIK) I HOPE THAT I SPELLED IT RIGHT. WE HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WITH THE LAST NAME OF (MILLTAGE), NOT SURE IF THAT IS THE RIGHT SPELLING EITHER. I HOPE THAT THIS WILL HELP ME. HE DOES'NT REMEMBER THEIR FIRST NAMES THOUGH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME LEO L. PAVLOVICH. JR.

Hello Leo,

Your surname is speeld on the US way, meaning when your family entered the US customs officials change the spelling of your name into Englsih. Henceforth the Pavlovich instead of the Serbian spelling of Pavlovic.

As for the places you mentioned, I couldn't find them unfortuanally. You should try to check the name of your fathers father and his information. From what I understand your father was born in the US?

You should try to get the name of your grandfather and his date of birth. With that you should check at EllisIsland. Also ask your dad if he has any old documents or pictures, they will help.

Anyways, I hope this may help. If you need more help let us know. I would point out to you that there is a Serbian Genealogy Society on this site. You can check the FAQ section on the site to read more about joining if you are interested. There are more people with similar situations like yours.

As for Yugoslavia, it doesnt excist anymore. Nowadays its called Serbia and Montenegro, but Croatia and some other states used to belong to it as well.

Regards,

THE CORRECT SPELLING FOR THE TOWN IS DUBRONVIK. ALSO HOW DO I FIND THE SERBIAN GENEALOGY SOCIETY SITE.

SORRY MISSPELLED IT AGAIN DUBROVNIK

Dubrovnik lies in nowaday's Croatia. A lot of Serbs used to live there. You can find it easily on a map. Its on the coast. The society is on this site: http://www.rodoslovlje.com Just click on the FAQ link on your right menu and you can read about us.

If you want to join, let me know I will send you a link.

I TRIED TO CONTACT SGS BY E-MAIL, BUT IT SAID THAT MY E-MAIL ADDRESS IS INVALID. I KNOW ITS NOT. CAN YOU GIVE ME THE LINK TO FIND OUT HOW TO JOIN SGS AND WHAT THE COST IS. THANK YOU LEO

FAQ section at: http://rodoslovlje.com/modules.php?name=FAQ&myfaq=yes&id_cat=6&categories=Serbian+Genealogy+Society

If you want to join click here: http://rodoslovlje.com/amember/signup.php

Hi Leo,
In fact spelling of your name is correct. Under the Austria-Hungarian empire all of names a spelled with CH since the west have not mach for c´.
Oliver
PS. My family mail line come somewhere from Dalmatia to.Dubrovnik was capitol of Dalmatia when Dalmatia was independent. and they was spelled Pavlovich to. When they come to Serbia it becomes Pavlovic´. Another synonym is Paulovich.
So maybe we are some relatives