Authored by Fahri Xharra. Translation by Petrit Latifi.
The Albanian nobles Balshaj (or Balshët) were an important dynasty in the Middle Ages, which ruled parts of Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo in the 14th-15th centuries. In historical sources, their surname is initially mentioned as Balsha, while later, by speculations of Russian priests they were called Balsic.
The Albanian ethnos had preserved these anthroponyms of the autochthonous anthroponymic sphere:
Pas (h) k, Kal, Balë Bali, Dush, Dosh, Lesh, Bull, Bul Lul, Kojë, Mal, Mazrrek, Dukë, Bushat, Ballshë, Lush, Gjin, Gion, Bul-Kan, Kolë, Kojë, Kin, Ndoc or Doç (e.g. Radica, i bir i Docit — Sigevë, Pe., 142), Radica, o bir i Docit (Jashinc, 142), Koman, Bilë, fem. Bardh, Bardhosh, sesk, Dushman, Dodë, Dedë, Lekë, Nikë, Ujk, Ulk, which appear in these sources most of the time dressed in the Slavic garb of anthroponymy in the forms Kalain, Kalza, (Kal), Baliq, Ballsha, (Balë), Dushoje (Dush), Dosha, Do-shevc, Doshin (Dosh), Leshan Leshko (Lesh), Bullashin, Bullat, Bullash (Bull Bul), Lulig, Luloje, Lulivoj (Lul), Kojadin, Koja (Koj), Malia, Malish (Mal) Mazarik (Mazarrek), Duka (Duke), Kolig (Kolë), Bilosh (Bil), Doca (Doç, Ndoc), Komanin, Komanzsha (Koman), Palig (Pal), Barda, Barli Pardosh (Bardh, dhosh), Gonçe, Gjonash (Gjon) Doman, Domna (Dom), Cesal (Cesk), Dodan, Dodish (Dodé), Dedash, Dedas (Dedë), Lekashin (Lekë), Nikash, Nikashin, (Nikë), Lukashin (Lukë) etc.
From that multitude of names of the sphere of Sila, Slavic names of the Albanian ethnos of the territory under the rule of the Brankovićs, as far as can be distinguished either by anthroponymy or by patronymic, were:
Petko (Petko Arbanas) Stole (Luliqi, son of Stole, Radovan (Radovani, son of Gjini) Branko (Branko Arbanasi) Radislav (Ra-dislav Arbanasi; Radislavi, son of Gjoni) Pribin (Pribina, son of Gjoni) Radomir (Radomir, son of Luligi,) Mirko (Mirko Arbanasi) Ranko (Gjini, son of Ranku) Dragan (Dragani, son of Gjoni) Stanimir (Lleshi, son of Stanimir) Dabizhiv (Dabizhivi)”
Reference
Skender Gashi. “Albanological Traces”1978, page 114
Balkan Academia 