---
title: "Maltese's toponymy"
description: "Maltese's toponymy, Aurore Verié"
url: "https://en.geneanum.com/malta/documents/geography/malteses-toponymy"
language: en
source: "Digital Genealogy"
---

# Maltese's toponymy

Publié le 17/03/2011  

## Aurore VERIÉ

Sometimes people do not find on a map of Malta the place of origin of an ancestor, as they have found a certificate. In fact, some places have two names. Thus, the Three Cities, ***The Three Cities* **: **Vittoriosa**, **Cospicua** and **Senglea**. These three localities are now an agglomeration, but their *local councils* and parishes are separate. All three cities called **The Cottonera** because it is the Grand Master Nicolas Cottoner y de Oleza, Knights of St. John, who fortified.

![The Cottonera](/assets/images/Malte/Document/LaCotonera.jpg "The Cottonera")

The former name of **Vittoriosa** is ***Birgu*** and Maltese use this name; Vittoriosa was the nickname given to this ancient city, after its successful resistance against the Turkish siege in 1565.

The former name of **Cospicua** is ***Bormla*** but when the city was embellished, it is nicknamed ***The Beautiful* : Cospicua**. Maltese always say ***Bormla***. Similarly, they always say ***Lisla*** for **Senglea** known as the Grand Master for Claude de La Sengle who lived there.

**Mdina**, the former capital was nicknamed ***Noble city*** by the first Knights. It is sometimes found under the name of ***Citta Notabile*** in some papers.

![M'Dina](/assets/images/Malte/Document/MDina.jpg "M'Dina")

**Qormi** is also called ***Pinto***, named a Grand Master, Pinto de Fonseca..

And **Zebbug** was at one time called ***Rohan***, to the Grand Master of the name. This is Zebbug of Malta and not Gozo not.

The last of the Grand Masters, Hompesch, baptized by his name the city of **Zabbar**.

**Siggiewi** was also called ***Ferdinand*** and **Zejtun**, ***Beland***. I do not know who were Ferdinand and Beland.

**Floriana** was with the nickname ***Borgo Vilhena***, another Grand Master.

Some names are preceded by Hal or Haz, as Haz-Zabbar, or Hal-Ljja, is an abbreviation of *rahal or casale*, village, the first in Maltese, the second in Italian.

**Gozo** is the name the Spanish gave to ***the sister island***, a word which means joyful. But the Maltese still call ***Ghawdex***, pronounced a-ou-dè-che, and Gozitans are a-ou-tchi, meaning of the name Gauci.

The main town of Gozo is **Victoria** since the jubilee of Queen Victoria, but Maltese and Gozitans still call ***Rabat*** ; not to be confused with **Rabat of Malta**.

![Victoria Rabat, Gozo](/assets/images/Malte/Document/Victoria-Rabat.jpg "Victoria Rabat, Gozo")

We call the capital **La Valette**, in French, Maltese say: **Valletta** and between them, ***Il-Belt***, the City.

If you write there, they would hit you indicate: Valletta, and even more so after Malta, you add **G.C.**, the initials of the George Cross by which George VI awarded the island for his bravery during the last war.

Published withe the courtesy of Aurore VERIÉ

Source : No. 92 - 4^(th) quarter 2005 - *Généalogie Algérie Maroc Tunisie*

  

1.  [Ile de Malte](/malta/documents/geography/ile-de-malte.html "Ile de Malte")
2.  [Ile de Gozo](/malta/documents/geography/ile-de-gozo.html "Ile de Gozo")
3.  [Lost villages in Malta, John CILIA LA CORTE](/malta/documents/geography/lost-villages-in-malta.html "Lost villages in Malta")
4.  Maltese's toponymy, Aurore Verié