The square is named after Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, a prominent Croatian children's writer, best known for her work Tales of Long Ago. In 1892, Ivana married lawyer and politician Vatroslav Brlić and moved to what was then Brod na Savi, where she lived and worked in the Brlić family home, which is also located on the square.[2]
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Brod na Savi was an important military and administrative center within the Habsburg Monarchy. At that time, the square served as the administrative center of the city, with numerous important institutions located in its vicinity.