Surname old and  present

About surname of the clan Popivoda, that earlier and this current one there is a lot of legends, and there are original birth and death certificates for a longer period, and from them we can determine how long the old name was officially in use.

The clan Popivoda was once called the Rabarević. It is unknown since when, but it is known that it did last until beginning of this century. After examining the Bjelice parish registers, which were run from 1867 to 1871. and from 1882. onwards, it was found that all members of the family enrolled as Rabarević, until the end of the 1906. From the 1882. to the end of 1906. the register was mainly run by priest Stanko Vukotic, from Prediš, and for all that time he nonce registered name Popivoda. After his death (on January 8 1907.), other clergy have continued to run the register, and the from the day one they did not enter any more Rabarević surname, but only Popivoda. So already on 28 February 1907. (only 50 days of the change of the priest), in the registers of deaths registered the death of Luka Pavlov Popivode. So, to say, in one day, changing of the priest who run the book, stoped entering surnames Rabarević. About why just then, and suddenly came to these changes, the old saying: Rabarevići carried the nickname "Popivoda" since the first half of the 18th century, and the first that got it was grandson of Vuk Lješevostupac, ancestor of the clan Rabarević (Popivoda). That is how later called even Vuk Lješevostupac - Vuk Popivoda. However, the official surname Rabarević retained until the end of 19th century. At that time, followed by a order of the government, clans that had dual surnames, and there were more of them, had to opt for one surname. They opted for the surname Popivoda, wanting to so indicate their origin from Vuk Lješevostupac - Popivoda, who, as we already said so, usually was called by that name. However, priest Stanko, did not accept that, considering the new name unofficial, and he is still consistently enrolled them as Rabarević. But from the day when he stopped to run the register (1907), ceased to enrol Rabarević surname, which means that was earlier abandoned - something before 1900. However, if we want to keep to official records, then the 1907. must be taken as the starting year of administrative and official use of the surname Popivoda.

 Certain lack of clarity could bring the fact that in the printed lists of warriors killed in the wars with Turkey in 1875-1880. three Rabarević entered with Popivoda surname, which could be interpreted that they had new surname was before they died, that is, before the 1875. However, in the Archives of Montenegro in Cetinje, where these lists are kept, they told us that these lists were printed many years later, on the basis of the original hand-written originals, which means that they must first be registered as Rabarević and later, when they printed lists, when the old name has been abandoned, registered under a new surname - Popivoda.

  From these registers was found that last entry under the surname Rabarević was recorded on 27th January 1907.  and first entry under the surname Popivoda - 1st December 1907. (between two dates there was no births). Since then, there is no more entries of Rabarević surname in the documents.

About the surname Popivoda, wrote Marko Vujačić, stating without reference to the source that Popivoda and Kuzman previously were called Raslapčevići, which should mean that they are descendants of Vuk Raslapčević, famous hero and personality of "Mountain Wreath" According to Vujačić, Vuk had a son, Simo, who first gained a name Popivoda.  However, Popivoda never called Raslapčević, even Vuk Raslapčević, of whom they say is originating from a lineage Popivoda did not bore the surname from the Lješev Stup, but has gained it in Rijeka district where he settled when he was a child. Vuk Raslapčević did not create offspring in Lješev Stup, and could not have a son, Simo.  It is known that Simo was the son of Radule and about it can not be said different, a nickname Popivoda perhaps the first got Simo, grandson of Vuk Lješevostupac, and legend says that the first named Popivoda was Vuk grandson. Accordingly, the allegations from Marko Vujačić, about the Raslapčević surname and descendants from Vuk Raslapčević, should not be taken seriously because they are incorrect and contradictory.

It is not known how Rabarevići were previously called, but it is known that they got name long time ago, and still recounts the legend how they acquired it. Keeping the livestock, old ancestor of the Rabarević with one bullet kills two "outlaws" who tried to snatch his cattle. It was a remarkable event and a great personal accomplishment. As previously some Rabar also with a single bullet killed two Turks, there was the rumour as an example of great heroism and skill. Then in the Lješev Stup was said: "Here we have one Rabar too" - and by that they called them Rabarević.

About how clan Popivoda got that nickname, which later became a surname, there is a legend that still lives. During fights in Herzegovina, in the first half of the 18th century, a small company of soldiers from Bjelice had a great distress - remain without drinking water. Thirst was reached to despair, and it looked that there was not a great chance to find the water. One of of the scouts find a kamenica with a little water in it. Having drunk, gave a notice to the others that there is still so much water for only one to drink. Because they could not find a way to determine the lucky one, they agreed to run, because then everything had to be earned, and who first arrived - gets a water. What they said, they did, and the first arrived grandson of the Vuk Lješevostupac, who was in this company of soldiers. And he got a nickname "Popivoda", and because of him later all his clan brothers, who carried the nickname of more than 150 years, that it later adopted as his surname - around 1900.