The family's progenitor, after whom historiography names it, was Mrnjava, a financial chancellor (kaznac, chamberlain) who served King Stefan Uroš I and his wife, Queen Helen of Anjou at the court at Trebinje (in Travunia).
ðə fˈæmɪliz pɹoʊdʒˈɛnɪɾɚ, ˈæftɚ hˈuːm hˌɪstoːɹɪˈɑːɡɹəfi nˈeɪmz ɪt, wʌz ˌɛmˌɑːɹɹˈɛndʒˈɑːvə, ɐ faɪnˈænʃəl tʃˈænsɛlɚ kˈæznæk, tʃˈeɪmbɚlˌɪn hˌuː sˈɜːvd kˈɪŋ stˈɛfən jˈʊɹɹɑːʃ aɪ ænd hɪz wˈaɪf, kwˈiːn hˈɛlən ʌv ˈændʒuː æt ðə kˈoːɹt æt tɹˈɛbɪndʒ ɪn tɹævjˈuːniə.