--- title: "Maltese surnames" description: "Maltese surnames, Joëlle Pawelczyk" url: "https://en.geneanum.com/malta/documents/genealogy/maltese-surnames" language: en source: "Digital Genealogy" --- # Maltese surnames Publié le 25/03/2015 ## Joëlle PAWELCZYK Maltese surnames are relatively identifiable in their vast majority, but because of the different cultures that have impacted the Maltese island, they have various origins: ### Sicilian & Italian surnames Widespread, these names are often due to the close proximity of Sicily and Italy, as: *Bonello*, *Camilleri*, *Cremona,* *Dalli*,  *Giglio*, *Delicata*, *Licari*, *Magri*, *Massa,* *Rizzo*, *Troisi*, *Vassallo*, etc. ### English surnames We must not forget that Malta was part of the British Empire during the 19th century, so that we came across of: *Bickle*, *Carabott, Edwards, Haidon*, *Harmsworth*, *Atkins*, *Mattocks*, *Wallbank*, *Smith*, *Jones*, *Turner*, *Henwood*. ### Semitic surnames Semitic family names are common. They are due to the presence of many Eastern Mediterranean influences (Arabs, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Turks) and southern (Normans, Sicily, Romans, Spaniards, French, English) suffered by the Maltese Archipelago since prehistoric times. Example: *Busuttil, Cutajar Ebejer, Sammut, Xuereb, Xerri, Grixti, Xriha,* the last three were Italianised and gave Surname *Scerri, Griscti, Sciriha* under the influence of the Italian alphabet used until the 19th century for acts or official documents. ### Spanish surnames Spanish surnames also exist, the most common are: *Galea (Aragon), Calleja* and *Galdes Galdies* or *carried by a single family, are less common: Enriquez, Herrera, Inguanez, Carabez, Navarra.* ### **Greek surnames** *As: *Agius (saint in Greek), Alamango, Cascun, Cuschieri (broken arm in Greek), Papagiorcopoulo, Dacoutros, Vasilopoulos, Vasilis, Trakosopoulos.** ### French surnames As: *Arnaud,* *Lautier,* *Lebrun, Martin, Montfort*. ### Berber surnames *Zarb, Zammit (*Muslim slave*), Zerafa* ### German surnames These names date back to the Middle Ages and gave *Von Brockdorff, Von Hompesch, Engerer, Hyzler, Schranz, Von Schembri (Germanic family originally from the Rhine valley) Wismayer, Craus.* ### Jew surnames Jews have also left traces of their presence on the island with names like: *Abela, Ellul, Azzopardi and Cohen.* The latter is derived from the Hebrew *Safardi,* which means *« Jew from Spain*". Most of came from Tolède or Madrid. Indeed in 1492, when the edict of Isabella the Catholic, Jewish reduced far to practice their religion in secret, were forced to convert to Catholicism. This means that for more than 500 years Azzopardi became Catholic in spite of the origin of their name. ### Double surnames A marriage, some women in Malta in order to preserve their family name to die for, in addition to their name than their husbands. The surname then transformed indicates the status of the family. The name becomes for example: *Borg-Olivier*, *Cachia-Zammit*, *Caruana-Curran, Fenech-Adami*, *Mifsud-Bonnici*, *Sammut-Alessi*, *Sammut-Testaferrata*, *Sant-Fournier*, *Spiteri-Gonzi*, *Vella-Maistre*. ### Surnames indicating places in Malta Some names Maltese family originated in the places where these families lived. Example: *Chircop*, *Curmi,* *Dingli, Dimech, Farrugia,* *Lia*, *Balzan*, *Valletta*, *Xiberras*, *Sciberras* *(*hill on which Valletta was built*).* *Bajada* originates mainly Gozo. In Munxar, Gozo, the majority of the population carries one of two surnames: *Curmi* or *Brincat. Gauci* means Gozzitain in Maltese. ### Surnames of new foreign migrants Currently, due to the migration of new third world country, new family names appeared: *Nwoko* after the naturalization of football player *Mandrins Nwoko*. Mention may also be: *Okoh*, *Ohaegbu*, *Yekoko*, *Stefanov*, *Bogdanovic*, *Giorev*, *Mohamed*, *Abu Shala*, *Abu Shamala*. ### Usages Women usually take the surname of their husbands in marriage. Example:*Maria Borg* born *Zammit* in official documents, is *Maria Borg* in everyday life. Children are mostly the name of their father, but some can only be that of their mother or append both. By custom, the first initial before a name indicates a whole family, such as talking about the "D. Saliba" family "G. Cassar" Despite these origins, the Maltese do not attach much importance to the origin of their surnames and all coexist smoothly. ### Some names Maltese family Some examples of names in Malta: **A :** Abdilla ; Abela ; Agius ; Anastasi ; Ancilleri ; Apap ; Aquilina ; Arpa ; Arrigo ; Asciak ; Attard ; Axisa ; Azzopardi **B :** Bajada ; Baldacchino ; Balzan ; Barbara ; Barbaro ; Bartolo ; Bencini ; Bezzina ; Bickle ; Bilocca ; Bisazza ; Boffa ; Bonanno ; Bonavia ; Bonello ; Bonnici ; Bontempo ; Borg ; Briffa ; Brincat ; Bruno ; Bugeja ; Buhagiar ; Busuttil ; Buttigieg **C :** Cachia ; Calamatta ; Calì ; Calleja ; Calus ; Camenzuli ; Camilleri ; Cannataci ; Carabott ; Caruana ; Casha ; Cassar ; Cauchi ; Cefai ; Chetcuti ; Chircop ; Ciantar ; Ciappara ; Cils ; Cini ; Coleiro ; Coppini ; Cortis ; Crémone ; Cucciardi ; Cumbo ; Curmi ; Cuschieri ; Cutajar **D :** Dalli ; Dalmas ; D'Amato ; Darmanin ; Debattista ; Debono ; Debrincat ; Decelis ; Degabriele ; Degiovanni ; Deguara ; Delia ; Delicata ; Demanuele ; Demicoli ; Desira ; Diacono ; Dimech ; Dingli **E :** Ebejer ; Ellul ; Esposito **F :** Falzon ; Farrugia ; Fava ; Fenech ; Ferriggi ; Filletti ; Fleri (rare) ; Formosa ; Francalanza ; Frendo ; Friggieri ; Fsadni **G :** Gafa'; Galdes ; Galea ; Gambin ; Gatt ; Gauci ; Gerada ; Ghigo ; Ghirxi ; Gonzi ; Grech ; Grillo ; Grima ; Griscti ; Grixti ; Gusman **H :** Haber ; Herrera ; Hili ; Hyzler **I :** Imbroll ; Incorvaia ; Inglott **L :** Laferla ; Lanfranco ; Lautier ; Lewis ; Lia **M :** Magri ; Magro ; Mahoney ; Mallia ; Mamo ; Manduca ; Mangion ; Marmara ; Massa ; Meilak ; Meli ; Mercieca ; Micallef ; Mifsud ; Mintoff ; Mizzi ; Montebello ; Montalto ; Mugliett ; Mula ; Muscat ; Musumeci **N :** Nani ; Naudi **P :** Pas ; Padovani ; Plus palmier ; Parascandolo ; Paris ; Parnis ; Pavie ; Penza ; Pirotta ; Pisani ; Piscopo ; Portelli ; Privitelli ; Psaila ; Pule'; Pulis ; Pullicino **Q :** Quattromani ; Quintano **R :** Rapa ; Rapinett ; Refalo ; Rizzo **S :** Sacco ; Saidon ; Salerno ; Saliba ; Sammut ; Sant ; Sapiano ; Sapienza ; Savona ; Scerri ; Sceberras ; Schembri ; Schiavone ; Sciberras ; Scicluna ; Scriha ; Seguna ; Seychell ; Spagnol ; Spina ; Spiteri ; Stivala ; Suda ; Sultanine **T :** Tabone ; Tanti ; Tedesco ; Testa ; Theuma ; Tonna ; Trapani ; Troisi **V :** Valletta ; Vassallo ; Vella **X :** Xerri ; Xuereb **Z :** Zahra ; Zammit ; Zarb ; Zerafa ; Zrinz   ## The Ranking of Surnames **BORG** is leading: 1 Malta on 25 carries this name. Following:**VELLA**, **FARRUGIA,** **CAMILLERI et ZAMMIT** The table below shows the ranking for the first 120 surnames: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-----|---------------|-----|---------------|-----|-----------------|-----|----------------|-----|---------------|-----|------------------| | 1 | **BORG** | 21 | **CALLEJA** | 41 | **AZZOPARDI** | 61 | **BONELLO** | 81 | **CILIA** | 101 | **PULLICINO** | | 2 | **VELLA** | 22 | **PORTELLI** | 42 | **PSAILA** | 62 | **FORMOSA** | 82 | **CURMI** | 102 | **AXISA** | | 3 | **FARRUGIA** | 23 | **GATT** | 43 | **VASSALLO** | 63 | **CASHA** | 83 | **TEUMA** | 103 | **GAFA** | | 4 | **CAMILLERI** | 24 | **GRIMA** | 44 | **ZAHRA** | 64 | **CIANTAR** | 84 | **GRISTI** | 104 | **BAJADA** | | 5 | **ZAMMIT** | 25 | **BUGEJA** | 45 | **SALIBA** | 65 | **ZERAFA** | 85 | **BALZAN** | 105 | **PULIS** | | 6 | **GRECH** | 26 | **MALLIA** | 46 | **CACHIA** | 66 | **TONNA** | 86 | **AZZOPARDI** | 106 | **ABDILLA** | | 7 | **GALEA** | 27 | **MIZZI** | 47 | **AZZOPARD** | 67 | **DALLI** | 87 | **DINGLI** | 107 | **GRECH / GREG** | | 8 | **CARUANA** | 28 | **BUSUTTIL** | 48 | **MAGRO** | 68 | **CHETCUTI** | 88 | **SAYD** | 108 | **FITENI** | | 9 | **AGIUS** | 29 | **SAMMUT** | 49 | **MANGION** | 69 | **FRENDO** | 89 | **CAMENZULI** | 109 | **GERADA** | | 10 | **CASSAR** | 30 | **ABELA** | 50 | **BARBARA** | 70 | **DARMANIN** | 90 | **PARNIS** | 110 | **CASSIA** | | 11 | **ATTARD** | 31 | **GAUCI** | 51 | **MAMO** | 71 | **BONAVIA** | 91 | **CUMBO** | 111 | **RIZZO** | | 12 | **MICALLEF** | 32 | **FALZON** | 52 | **BARTOLO** | 72 | **TANTI** | 92 | **CREMONA** | 112 | **CORDINA** | | 13 | **MIFSUD** | 33 | **XERRI** | 53 | **BEZZINA** | 73 | **CALLUS** | 93 | **ABEJER** | 113 | **DELIA** | | 14 | **SPITERI** | 34 | **XICLUNA** | 54 | **XUEREB** | 74 | **SANT** | 94 | **CATANIA** | 114 | **CIAPPARA** | | 15 | **PACE** | 35 | **BUTTIGIEG** | 55 | **ZARB** | 75 | **FELICI** | 95 | **CARDONA** | 115 | **COLEIRO** | | 16 | **MUSCAT** | 36 | **CAUCHI** | 56 | **CUTAJAR** | 76 | **DE BRINCAT** | 96 | **CUSCHIERI** | 116 | **SULTANA** | | 17 | **BONNICI** | 37 | **AQUILINA** | 57 | **BUHAGIAR** | 77 | **BRIFFA** | 97 | **CINI** | 117 | **BIGENI** | | 18 | **FENECH** | 38 | **ELLUL** | 58 | **DIMECH** | 78 | **CHIRCOP** | 98 | **GALDES** | 118 | **STIVALA** | | 19 | **SCHEMBRI** | 39 | **TABONE** | 59 | **MERCIECA** | 79 | **PISANO** | 99 | **SACCO** | 119 | **SOLTANA** | | 20 | **DEBONO** | 40 | **XIBERRAS** | 60 | **BALDACCHINO** | 80 | **SEICHEL** | 100 | **REFALO** | 120 | **XIRIHA** | - Top 10 surnames represents for about ¼ of all surnames - The top 40 represents for half of all - 120 first represents ¾ of the whole. For some spelling variations have evolved significantly over the years and acts. Therefore, Mrs. **Aurore Verie** identified several variants for **FALZON** and **AZZOPARDI** surnames (source : [Maltais en France](http://maltaisenfrance.free.fr/genealogie.htm)): - **FALZON **: FALCZUNI, FALCZONE, de FANCZONE, de FANCZONUS, de FANCZONO, FALCUNI, FANZONO, FALSONE, FALZONI, FALZUN and finally FALZON - **AZZOPARDI :** ZUPARD, ZUPPARDU, ZUPARDU, AZUPARDU, AZOPARDO, AZZUPARD, AZZOPARD and finally AZZOPARDI**.** Sources : - [http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/fr/Family_name#Malta](http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/fr/Family_name#Malta "Malta") - [http://ogalea.chez.com/PatronymesMaltais.htm](http://ogalea.chez.com/PatronymesMaltais.htm "PatronymesMaltais") - Ranking surnames established by Bernard Axisa, from "ADAMI BMS" 1. Maltese surnames, Joëlle Pawelczyk 2. [Aspects of maltese surnames, Mario CASSAR](/malta/documents/genealogy/aspects-of-maltese-surnames.html "Aspects of maltese surnames") 3. [Weddings in Malta in the eighteenth century, Aurore Verié](/malta/documents/genealogy/weddings-in-malta-in-the-eighteenth-century.html "Weddings in Malta in the eighteenth century") 4. [Le sultan Djem et sa prétendue descendance maltaise, de Nicolas VELIN](/malta/documents/genealogy/le-sultan-djem-et-sa-pretendue-descendance-maltaise.html "Le sultan Djem et sa prétendue descendance maltaise") 5. [Le légendaire Eugène Matteo d'Armenia, de Loïck PORTELLI](/malta/documents/genealogy/le-legendaire-eugene-matteo-darmenia.html "Le légendaire Eugène Matteo d'Armenia") 6. [Jacques et Marguerite de Pellegrino, de Loïck PORTELLI](/malta/documents/genealogy/jacques-et-marguerite-de-pellegrino.html "Jacques et Marguerite de Pellegrino") 7. [Headquarters Gozo in 1551 and repopulation of the island (excerpts), Stanley Fiorini](/malta/documents/genealogy/headquarters-gozo-in-1551-and-repopulation-of-the-island.html "Headquarters Gozo in 1551 and repopulation of the island") 8. [Marriage in Malta in the late eighteenth century (excerpts), Frans CIAPPARA](/malta/documents/genealogy/marriage-in-malta-in-the-late-eighteenth-century.html "Marriage in Malta in the late eighteenth century") 9. [The three CUMBO brothers, by Georges GANDER and Nicolas VELIN](/malta/documents/genealogy/three-cumbo-brothers.html "The three CUMBO brothers") 10. [Nicola SOLTANA, the founder, by Nicolas VELIN](/malta/documents/genealogy/nicola-soltana-the-founder.html "Nicola SOLTANA, the founder") 11. [Le maréchal Davout est-il Maltais ?, de Loïck Portelli](/malta/documents/genealogy/le-marechal-davout-est-il-maltais.html "Le maréchal Davout est-il Maltais ?") 12. [Qui est Marguerite d’Aragon ?, de Loïck PORTELLI](/malta/documents/genealogy/qui-est-marguerite-daragonv.html "Qui est Marguerite d’Aragon ?") 13. [Les Racines Maltaises de Gérald DARMANIN](/malta/documents/genealogy/les-racines-maltaires-de-gerald-darmanin.html "Les Racines Maltaises de Gérald DARMANIN")