By now you might have heard about this strange peculiarity that, according to the 2011 census, as a Maltese person you are extremely likely to be named Borg, Camilleri, Vella, Farrugia, Zammit, Galea, Micallef, Grech, Attard or Spiteri (in that order). That would be Vella, Attard, Camilleri, Grech, Portelli, Buttigieg, Sultana, Azzopardi, Spiteri or Zammit if you hail from Gozo.

This is so because no less than a quarter of the Maltese population share just ten surnames out of a total of 19,104. And almost half (44 per cent) share the top 25. Wow. These names probably belonged to the first settlers on the island long, long ago, and the Maltese were a rather inbred lot - back then, hundreds of years ago, most people married within their own village of a few hundred or thousand people and barely ever left it. Thankfully, the genes have spread a lot since.

English pronunciation guide

Firstly, let’s make sure we properly address the Azzopardis. ‘AT-SO-PAR-DI' - easy!

What is the origin of this surname?

It is widely accepted that Azzopardi originated in Italy in the region of Lombardy or Liguria. A Genoese notary of the 13th century bore the name Ogerius Açopardus. It is one of the oldest Italian surnames and has since spread abundantly throughout Italy, Sicily, Malta, Greece and France. Some suspect that the original name came to Italy with settlers from Sicily, where we find the forms Zuppardo and Zuppardi. Other variations found in various documents include Aczupard, Azzupard, Azuparda, Azzopardi, Azzoppardi, Azzopardo, Azzoppardo, Zoppardo, Zopardo, Zupard and Azupardu.

What does 'Azzopardi' mean?

Despite the similar variations of the surname Azzopardi, the meaning varies between one and another. Azzopardi is a combination of two Langobardic Italian names: Azzo meaning 'noble' and Pardo, originally the name of a Germanic tribe (the Bardi). In Sicily, Malta and Greece, the name most likely referred to the ethnicity of a person of African descent or an occupational name for a mercenary soldier.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fantasy_Lore (@fantasy_lore) on Dec 10, 2017 at 11:07pm PST

Where you’re most likely to find an Azzopardi in Malta

Rabat, Malta, by far, has the highest concentration of Azzopardis in the whole of the Maltese Islands; the 2011 census recorded 508 residents with that surname, with a spillover in nearby Dingli with 150 residents and Mtarfa having 97 residents. Clearly, the first Azzopardis settled in this hilltop location on the Maltese Islands. The Three Cities as well as Qrendi also have a good share of Azzopardis, while in Gozo it is the 8th most common surname.

Five Famous Azzopardis

Antonio Azzopardi (1805–1881) was a Maltese pioneer in Australia. He is number 84 in the photo montage published by Thomas Foster Chuck in 1872 entitled “The Explorers and Early Colonists of Victoria”. Azzopardi from Zejtun emigrated to Victoria on board the Mary Hay in 1839.

Ġużè Muscat Azzopardi (1853–1927) was a Maltese poet, novelist and social commentator as well as a lawyer who throughout his life gave many contributions to the literary and socio-cultural situation of his time.

Salvino Azzopardi (1931–2006) was a Maltese Jesuit priest and Maltese-Indian philosopher settled in Pune, India. He specialised in logic, epistemology, ethics, metaphysics, mysticism and metaphilosophy. He is famous for his new insights on mysticism and metaphilosophy combining insights from Indian and Western Philosophies and has influenced many philosophers in India.

Mario Philip Azzopardi (born 1950) is a Canadian/Maltese television and film director and writer. Azzopardi was born in Siggiewi, Malta, but emigrated to Canada in 1978 after local censors cancelled his play, Sulari Fuq Strada Stretta, in 1977 on the grounds that it was too offensive; the play was eventually presented at the Manoel Theatre in January 2008.

Peppi Azzopardi (born 1959) is a Maltese TV personality, best known for hosting Malta's longest-lasting TV programme and most popular talk show ‘Xarabank’ since 1997 and L-Istrina, an annual telethon programme. He is also a founder of the TV production company "Where's Everybody."