Drago (Cyrillic: Драго) is a South Slavic masculine given name common in Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and other Balkan regions. It originated as a short form of names beginning with the Slavic element dorgŭ (South Slavic drag) meaning "precious" or "dear, beloved." The feminine counterpart is Draga, and a Romanian variant is Dragoș. Etymology and Variants The root drag- appears in numerous Slavic names such as Dragan, Dragutin, and Dragiša. The diminutive form Draško is also used in Serbian. The surname descendants include Bulgarian Dragov and Dragova, Slovene Dragić, and Serbian Dragović. Notable Bearers Several public figures have borne the name Drago across various fields. In sports, Drago Dumbović (born 1960), Drago Gabrić (born 1986), and Drago Hmelina (1932–2004) were Croatian football players; Drago Grubelnik (1976–2015) was a Slovenian alpine skier; and Drago Horvat (born 1958) played ice hockey for Slovenia. In the arts, Croatian sculpting artist Drago Marin Čerina (born 1949), painter Drago Došen (1943–2019), and Istrian poet and playwright Drago Gervais (1904–1957) are notable. Croatian chemist Drago Grdenić (1919–2018) and journalist Drago Hedl (born 1950) are also well known. Reason for Popularity The name's enduring usage in South Slavic countries is tied to its positive meaning and the cultural habit of deriving affectionate names from the root drag. It is often given as a standalone name or as a short form of longer compound names, reflecting the Slavic onomastic tradition of naming children with virtues. Meaning: Precious, dear, beloved Origin: Slavic element dorgŭ Type: Given name (short form) Usage regions: Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia Gender: Masculine (feminine: Draga)