 The Slovene name (with initial "D-") is derived from Slavic *"Dorgonʼa", from Romance "d-" (< "ad" 'at') + "Argaon-" (with metathesis).Ultimately, the name is of pre-Romance origin.Dragonja was created as a village in 1960 by combining various scattered houses and hamlets along the route between Šmarje and Buje, Croatia.