What is "dejan"

Dejan is a South Slavic masculine given name, derived from the Old Slavic word dejati, meaning " action; to act, to do". It is possible that the name is a diminutive of dithematic Desimir or Desislav, with des meaning "to happen". It is very common in Serbia and Macedonia, and also common in Bulgaria, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia.

The given name Dejan and the surname Dejanović is unusually widespread in the Serbo-Croatian linguistical area, and it is first mentioned in the mid-14th century, in Serbia. Dejan ( 1346–ca. 1366) was a Serbian magnate in the Serbian Empire. The form Dejaniš is also found in the 14th century. According to medieval texts, Dejan was widespread in Serbian lands, and it is frequent in Serbian epic poetry. The name is among the most common in Serbia: It was the fifth most given name in the period of 1961–1970 (at 5,61%); first in 1971–1980; ninth in 1981–1990.

Dejan (; fl. 1346–ca. 1366) was a Serbian magnate who served Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–55) as sevastokrator, and Emperor Uroš V (r. 1355–71) as despot. He was married to Emperor Dušan's sister Teodora, and possessed a large province in the Kumanovo region, east of Skopska Crna Gora. It initially included the old župe (counties) of Žegligovo and Preševo (modern Kumanovo region with Sredorek, Kozjačija and the larger part of Pčinja). Uroš V later gave Dejan the Upper Struma river with Velbužd (Kyustendil). Dejan built the Zemen Monastery, among others, and reconstructed several church buildings throughout his province.

Dejan was one of the prominent figures of Dušan's reign and during the fall of the Serbian Empire after Dušan's death. Dejan is the progenitor of the Dejanović noble family, with his two sons, despot Jovan and gospodin Konstantin, also becoming powerful during the fall of the Serbian Empire and the ensuing Ottoman period.