Surnames and Personal Names under N in Stična’s 16th-Century Manorial Record

One of the most unusual and intriguing surnames found in the manorial records is Nevidni, meaning “invisible”. It has not survived into modern usage, which makes it all the more remarkable. It sounds almost literary – as if chosen by a novelist. In the 16th century, it was carried by Jernej Nevidni from Polhov Gradec. What was he hiding from? Was he quiet, unnoticed, someone who preferred to stay in the background? Perhaps it was simply a nickname that became an official designation for a time. We’ll never know, but his name remains – captured on the paper of a monastic register, a faint trace of a man remembered as invisible.