--- title: "Frequency by location" description: "Frequency by location" url: "https://en.geneanum.com/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/surname-frequencies-by-location" language: en source: "Digital Genealogy" --- 1. [Introduction](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/introduction.html "Introduction") 2. [Some random reflections](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/some-rambling-thoughts.html "Some random reflections") 3. [Organization of Maltese family names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/a-stratigraphy-of-maltese-surnames.html "Organization of Maltese family names") 4. [Hull's theory on the Girgenti colony](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/hulls-theory-of-a-girgenti-colony.html "Hull's theory on the Girgenti colony") 5. [First censuses and classification of names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/early-census-taking-and-surname-rankings.html "First censuses and classification of names") 6. [The 2005 census and the most common Maltese names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/census-2005-and-the-commonest-surnames-in-malta.html "The 2005 census and the most common Maltese names") 7. [The pantheon of Maltese family names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/the-pantheon-of-maltese-surnames.html "The pantheon of Maltese family names") 8. Frequency by location 9. [An overview of Gozo](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/a-snapshot-of-gozo.html "An overview of Gozo") 10. [The parallel 'Australian' sample](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/the-australian-parallel-sample.html "The parallel 'Australian' sample") 11. [Cognates and doublets](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/cognates-and-doublets.html "Cognates and doublets") 12. [Multiple names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/multiple-surnames.html "Multiple names") 13. [Disappeared names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/extinct-surnames.html "Disappeared names") # Frequency by location ## by Mario CASSAR The 2005 Census also provided a very useful statement of the five most common surnames in each Maltese locality. [TABLE] The top-five names in Malta are the same as the top five family names in the Maltese islands, in exactly the same order, which means that the Gozo count did not influence the ranking order. The only two localities whose top five names reflect the national trend are Qormi and Swieqi, although in a different order. One can try certain surname-sharing patterns. However, it is superfluous to say that Birkirkara, Balzan and Attard share **Borg**, **Camilleri**, **Vella**, and **Micallef** among their respective top five names because these are pan-Maltese family names. For example **Farrugia**, **Camilleri**, and **Zammit** appear in the top-five lists of Żurrieq, Mqabba, Kirkop, Safi, and Luqa, but again these are national constants. The strong occurrences of **Abela** in Żejtun and Gudja, of **Azzopardi** in Rabat and **Dingli**, and of **Gauci** in Mellieha and St Paul's Bay are more interesting. So too is the link between Luqa, Gudja, and Għaxaq via **Spiteri**; and between Birgu, Cospicua and Kalkara through **Grech**. Naxxar and Mosta are closely linked to each other in that their four most common names are not only common denominators, but also share the same ranking order (**Camilleri, Vella, Borg** and **Galea**). The top-five in certain localities does not include a single name in the national hierarchy's top-five. These are Marsaxlokk and Mdina in Malta; Għajnsielem, Xagħra and San Lawrenz in Gozo. The Gozo lists, in general, are more idiosyncratic. This is reflected in the preponderance of **Xuereb** in Għajnsielem, **Mintoff** in Għasri, **Debrincat** in Munxar, **Buttigieg** in Qala, **Sultana** in Xagħra, **Cini** in Żebbuġ, and **Grima** in San Lawrenz. These are all very small and relatively isolated villages. A typical Gozo surname seems to be **Rapa**, but it is not frequent enough in numbers to enter any of the top-five lists. However, certain curious trends can also be noted in Malta. This is particularly evident in the strong occurrences of **Aquilina** in Għargħur, **Bugeja** in Marsaxlokk, **Magro** in Qrendi, **Dalli** in Gudja, and **Busuttil** in Safi. Other concentrations, less pronounced but equally clear, are manifest in the cases of **Carabott** in Marsaxlokk, **Sacco** in Kirkop, **Bezzina** in Għargħur, **Abdilla** in Safi, and **Manduca** in Mdina. **Penza** is overwhelmingly a Luqa name. Text published with the kind permission of Mario CASSAR 1. [Introduction](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/introduction.html "Introduction") 2. [Some random reflections](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/some-rambling-thoughts.html "Some random reflections") 3. [Organization of Maltese family names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/a-stratigraphy-of-maltese-surnames.html "Organization of Maltese family names") 4. [Hull's theory on the Girgenti colony](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/hulls-theory-of-a-girgenti-colony.html "Hull's theory on the Girgenti colony") 5. [First censuses and classification of names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/early-census-taking-and-surname-rankings.html "First censuses and classification of names") 6. [The 2005 census and the most common Maltese names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/census-2005-and-the-commonest-surnames-in-malta.html "The 2005 census and the most common Maltese names") 7. [The pantheon of Maltese family names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/the-pantheon-of-maltese-surnames.html "The pantheon of Maltese family names") 8. Frequency by location 9. [An overview of Gozo](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/a-snapshot-of-gozo.html "An overview of Gozo") 10. [The parallel 'Australian' sample](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/the-australian-parallel-sample.html "The parallel 'Australian' sample") 11. [Cognates and doublets](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/cognates-and-doublets.html "Cognates and doublets") 12. [Multiple names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/multiple-surnames.html "Multiple names") 13. [Disappeared names](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames/extinct-surnames.html "Disappeared names")