The family is considered to be one of those which founded the ancient community of Dubrovnik. The surname is attested in various forms in different places: Baebiblius nearby Salona, Babuleius, Babullia, Bobuli or Boboli in Italy. One of the etymologies proposed considers that all these surnames are derived from the early-medieval name Babilius or Babilonius. According to another ancient tradition the Bobali originated in Bosnia in the 10th century.
The Bobali gave the Republic a large number of politicians, scholars and writers. In the 14th century they had 124 senior civil servants in senate (representing 3.32%).[1] Similarly, between 1440 and 1640 there were 64 Bobali in the Grand Council (2.91% of total).[2] In two hundred years, they had 59 senatorial positions (1.81%), 66 members of the Minor Council (3.05%), 23 Guardians of Justice (2.80%) and for 59 times a member of Bobali that became Rettore of the Republic (2.48%).[3]
The Bobali family became extinct in 1771 with the death of Frano Damjanov Bobali.[citation needed]
Domanja Bobaljević (14th century) – priest and politician, served Bosnian Ban Stephen II. He fought the Bosnian Church and defended Bosnia from aspirations of Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan.
Francesco Cuco de Bobali (16th century) – poet and writer, left many songs, collected by abbot Giorgi in a volume entitled Poesie de Cuco il seniore.
Savino Bobali (1530–1585) – poet and writer among the most important of his time (Rime amorose, pastorali e satiriche del magnifico Savino de Bobali Sordo).
Marino de Bobali (17th century) – was a writer and philosopher. His work was printed in 1654 in Aquileia (Friuli). The best-known work was titled Del senso predominato dalla ragione ("About senses ruled by reason").
Francesco Maria Appendini, Notizie istorico-critiche sulle antichità storia e letteratura de' Ragusei, Dalle stampe di Antonio Martecchini, Ragusa 1803
Renzo de' Vidovich, Albo d'Oro delle famiglie nobili patrizie e illustri nel Regno di Dalmazia, Cultural Scientific Foundation Rustia Traine, Trieste 2004
Simeon Gliubich, Biographical dictionary of illustrious Dalmatian men, wien-Zadar 1836
Giorgio Gozzi, The free and sovereign Republic of Ragusa 634–1814, Volpe Editore, Rome 1981
Robin Harris, Storia e vita di Ragusa – Dubrovnik, la piccola Repubblica adriatica, Santi Quaranta, Treviso 2008
Konstantin Jireček, The Legacy of Rome in the cities of Dalmatia in the Middle Ages, 3 vols., AMSD, Rome 1984–1986
Dubrovacka vlastela izmedu roda i drzave, Stjepan Cosic, Nenad Vekaric, HAZU 2003
