Malta and Sicily : an overview of their cognominal kinship

Abstract

The geopolitical, cultural and religious connections between Malta and Sicily have been extensively reviewed by several historians and ethnographers. In my case, I would like to back up this manifest bond in a collateral way. In fact, the aim of this paper is to enhance the long-standing ties between the two neighbouring islands via the scrutiny of their overlapping cognominal pool. The number of Sicilian surnames in Malta is simply staggering; however, Maltese surnames are equally discernible in Sicily. Thereby, this cross-fertilization of family names has undoubtedly been a two-way affair. The conditions and circumstances underlying this intriguing process are therefore worthy of examination.