Smira was the old surname of our Perovic ancestors. Boso Nicho Smira was the first Perovic to be registered in Zadar. Some time after his arrival in Zadar , he changed his surname to Perovic. He had a son named Pere or Pero after whom the surname Perovic was taken in Croatian form (or so it is believed) . It “ic “or”ovic” means “of” or “son of”. Perovic thus can be likened to Petersen in English.

Documents at the Zadar land registry show Boso Nicho Smira was from the diocese of Bar (Antivari, Tivar) present day Montenegro.  He arrived with the 1st migration of Albanian families in Zadar, Croatia in 1726.  They settled just South of Zadar, in a village named Arbanasi (Albanians) which is now a suburb of Zadar, Croatia.  NB. In 1726 Podgorica, Bar and Ulqin were all part of the Shkodar vilayet .

Note: Smira was written as Xmira.   The church records are from 'Crkve Velike Gospe Arbanasi; Zadar Hrvatski and the Births, Marriage and Deaths records (Maticneknige)