In summary:
A study of distribution of surnames within a community can give an indication of the homogeneity of the population. In Gozo, a few surnames account for the majority of surnames in any locality. In this study, the distribution of surnames according to the recent (2011) census were compared with those in 1990. There results can be summarised as follows:
- There were marked difference in the proportion of population with the same surname. For instance, in Zebbug and San Lawrence the top five surnames accounted for about 50 per cent of the population in 1990, but in 2011 this has been reduced to 29 and 43 per cent respectively.
- Similar changes have been consistent but less marked in all other localities (except Għasri), with least changes occurring in Għajnsielem, Rabat and Nadur.
- The biggest variation in the distribution of the top 5 surnames (as measured by ‘rank difference’) has occurred in Fontana and Għasri.
- This indicates that there has been considerable dilution of surnames within most of the localities in Gozo.
- It may be concluded that the population of Gozo has become less homogeneous over the past couple of decades. A number of reasons why this has happened are postulated.
Changes in the demographic distribution within a community may be gleaned from a study of how surnames have changed over a period of time. The recent census (2011), gives data relating to the relative frequency of surnames in various localities of Malta and Gozo. A comparison between the latest census and that of previous years has never, to my knowledge been attempted. However, in the case of Gozo, such a study was made in relation to Gozo surnames (See A Picture of Gozo, MN Cauchi, 1998, pp 19-47). A comparison between the two studies would give an indication of change surname variation over the past couple of decades.
For the purpose of this analysis, the five most common names in each locality in Gozo in 2011 (as found in the recent census) are compared with data obtained from the Electoral Register in 1990, and differences that have occurred in this 21-year period are analysed. Surnames are ranked according to frequency and a rank is allotted. The ‘rank difference’ refers to alterations in frequency: a rank difference of “0” indicate that there has been no change, while a rank of 1 indicate that that particular surname has increased in frequency so that now it has stepped up one rank. A negative mark indicates that it has gone down by one or several steps (maximum 5 steps).
The sum of rank differences for the five surnames in each locality (ignoring the plus/minus sign), reflects the degree of variation of the five most common surnames in a particular locality. In table 1 below, the frequency of surnames for the various localities in Gozo are given.
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Table 1: Proportion of the population with the given surname in 1990 and 2011. The rank difference indicates whether a particular surname has gone up or down in frequency since 1990.
1990 2011
Surname % Surname % Rank Diff.
Fontana :
Galea 7.2 Attard 5.6 -5
Borg 6.8 Camilleri 4.6 -2
Farrugia 4.6 Mizzi 4.6 -3
Attard 4.6 Borg 3.7 3
Cassar 4.1 Grech 4.0 -1
Comment: there is a marked shift in the proportion of surnames with ‘Attard’ coming up top (moved up 3 positions, and ‘Galea’ disappearing completely from the first five positions (rank difference = -5).
Għajnsielem:
Xuereb 7.7 Xuereb 6.5 0
Azzopardi 4.8 Grech 5.3 1
Grech 4.8 Vella 5.1 1
Buttigieg 4.7 Azzopardi 5.0 -2
Zerafa 4.6 Grima 4.6 -1
Comment: There seems to be only minimal change , ‘Buttigieg’ & ‘Zerafa’ disappearing and ‘Grima’ becoming more prominent.
Għarb:
Vella 6.6 Cassar 6.5 -2
Cassar 6.6 Cauchi 4.9 1
Cauchi 6.5 Vella 4.4 1
Micallef 5.3 Caruana 4.2 -1
Portelli 5.0 Micallef 3.9 -1
Comment: the most marked changes relate to a reduction in the incidence of the surname ‘Vella’ (from 6.6 to 4.4 %), and ‘Portelli’ disappearing from the top 5 surnames, and’ Caruana’ upgraded to 4th position.
Għasri :
Vella 6.1 Mintoff 9.6 -5
Attard 5.4 Zammit 3.8 -3
Saliba 4.7 Farrugia 5.9 -1
Caruana 4.4 Saliba 5.9 -2
Grech 4.1 Attard 5.2 -1
Comment: Marked changes seem to have taken place here, with ‘Vella’ disappearing from the top 5 surnames , being replaced by ‘Mintoff’. The overall percentage of the other surnames remain relatively stable although changed in priority .
Kerċem:
Grech 13.7 Grech 12.9 0
Spiteri 7.9 Vella 8.0 1
Vella 7.8 Spiteri 6.1 -1
Formosa 5.4 Formosa 5.1 0
Borg 4.6 Mercieca 4.3 -1
Comment: Only slight differences noticed, with a reduction in ‘Borg’ and increase in ‘Mercieca’.
Munxar:
Debrincat 8.1 Debrincat 5.4 0
Bajada 6.1 Vella 4.9 -1
Curmi 5.7 Bajada 4.7 -3
Vella 4.4 Attard 3.4 2
Parnis 3.8 Grech 3.3 -1
Comment: while the overall relative positions are largely unchanged (with disappearance of ‘Parnis’ and increase in ‘Grech’), there is a considerable reduction in proportion of ‘Debrincat’ and ‘Bajada’ with increase in ‘Vella’.
Nadur:
Camilleri 10.3 Camilleri 10.0 0
Muscat 9.2 Portelli 8.8 -1
Portelli 9.1 Muscat 8.3 1
Said 5.2 Said 5.1 0
Buttigieg 5.0 Buttigieg 4.6 0
Comment: Hardly any change in rank, or in proportions of surname overall.
Qala:
Buttigieg 14.1 Buttigieg 10.9 0
Portelli 6.8 Camilleri 5.6 -1
Xerri 6.4 Portelli 5.5 -1
Vella 6.4 Xerri 4.8 -2
Mizzi 5.1 Mizzi 4.1 0
Comment: There is minimal change in rank but considerable reduction in proportion of ‘Buttigieg’.
Rabat (Victoria)
Grech 6.1 Grech 6.1 0
Vella 5.6 Vella 5.5 0
Farrugia 4.9 Attard 5.2 -1
Attard 4.6 Farrugia 4.6 1
Zammit 4.3 Camilleri 3.5 -1
Comment: There is minimal change in rank order,
San Lawrenz:
Grima 17.0 Grima 15.1 0
Cauchi 11.1 Cauchi 8.4 0
Formosa 9.3 Formosa 8.3 0
Cassar 8.8 Cassar 7.3 0
Piscopo 4.5 Attard 4.3 -1
Comment: A remarkably stable ranking. Note the very high incidence of the surname ‘Grima’.
Sannat:
Muscat 6.9 Vella 6.3 -1
Spiteri 5.7 Muscat 5.7 -2
Vella 5.2 Buttigieg 4.3 2
Curmi 5.0 Spiteri 4.2 -1
Grima 4.8 Curmi 4.1 -1
Comment: There is reduction in the ranking of ‘Grima’ and ‘Spiteri’. .
Xagħra
Sultana 12.8 Sultana 11.5 0
Attard 7.3 Attard 6.7 0
Bajada 4.3 Galea 3.6 -2
Galea 4.2 Mercieca 3.5 1
Refalo 3.8 Bajada 3.2 -1
Comment: There is some reduction of ranking of ‘Bajada’ and ‘Refalo’, with increase in ‘Mercieca’.
Xewkija:
Attard 7.4 Vella 7.1 1
Vella 7.2 Azzopardi 6.3 1
Xuereb 6.4 Attard 6.2 -2
Azzopardi 6.2 Spiteri 4.5 2
Spiteri 4.5 Xuereb 3.9 -1
Comment: minimal changes
Żebbuġ:
Cini 16.9 Cini 10.1 0
Vella 9.7 Saliba 6.1 -1
Saliba 8.6 Vella 5.5 1
Zammit 7.0 Zammit 4.4 0
Camilleri 6.2 Camilleri 3.7 0
Comment: While there is hardly any change in ranking, there is a relative reduction in ranking of the distinctive surname’ Cini’ as well as in ‘Vella’, ‘Saliba’ and ‘Zammit’.
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The ‘Rank Difference’ is obtained by adding all the differences in rank for all 5 surnames. This reflects the changes in surnames over the period under study in that particular locality.
Table 2 (below) summarises changes in the incidence of surnames in the various localities
The most marked change in surnames (as measured by ‘rank difference’ ) occurs in Fontana and Ghasri, two of the smallest localities. The least marked change in surname differences occurs in Nadur, Zebbug and St Lawrenz.
The proportion of the population within a community that is accounted for by the five top surnames varies considerably . In 1990, five surnames accounted for 25 per cent or more of the population. In the case of Zebbug and San Lawrenz, they covered 48 and 51 per cent of the population respectively). In many other localities, (Xewkija, Gharb, Xaghra, Kercem, Qala, and Nadur), the top five surnames accounted for more than 30 percent of the population).
In comparison with the 1990 census data, the recent census data show that the proportion of persons having the five most common surnames has become considerably less in all localities (with the exception of Ghasri), indicating that there has been a considerable dilution of surnames and consequent reduced homogeneity of the population. This is most marked for Zebbug , where now the five top surnames account for only 29 per cent of the population (compared to 48 percent in 1990), and least marked for Ghajnsielem, and Victoria (Rabat).
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Table 2: Changes in surname prevalence 1990-2001, by rank difference
Population Rank difference Proportion of population
with 5 top surnames
2011 1990 2011 Diff
Fontana 873 14 27.3 22.5 5.1
Għasri 427 12 24.7 30.4 -5.7
Munxar 1073 7 28.1 21.4 6.7
Sannat 1801 7 27.6 24.6 3.0
Xewkija 3112 7 31.7 28.0 3.1
Għarb 1183 6 30.0 23.4 6.6
Għajnsielem 2621 5 26.6 26.5 0.1
Qala 1795 4 38.8 30.9 7.9
Xagħra 3968 4 32.4 28.5 3.9
Kerċem 1698 3 39.4 36.4 3.0
Rabat 6203 3 25.5 24.9 0.6
Nadur 3961 2 38.8 36.8 2.0
Żebbuġ 1824 2 48.4 29.1 19.3
San Lawrenz 604 1 50.7 43.4 7.3
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Comment:
These data indicate that the population of most of the localities in Gozo have become considerably less homogenous compared to two decades ago. The most popular surnames are still largely unchanged (as indicated by a low ‘rank difference’), but the proportions of persons included by the five most common surnames is considerably reduced.
There have been several factors which could explain the reduced homogeneity in the majority of localities in Gozo. There has been a considerable influx of persons from the mainland – a phenomenon which has reached considerable proportions in recent years. Secondly, the provision of government subsidised housing encourages families to leave their own village and find a home wherever it is made available. It is also possible that there has been an increase rate of internal migration, with younger persons preferring to make their domicile on the larger island for economic or other reasons.
It would be of interest to see comparable data for localities in Malta (as opposed to Gozo), but as far as I know, such comparisons have not yet been made. This would confirm the degree of mobility within the Maltese community as a whole.
Prof. Maurice N. Cauchi 