Cassar

This article is about the surname. For other uses, see Cassar (disambiguation).

Cassar is a Maltese surname.

According to Maltese linguist Dr. Mario Cassar, the surname is of Arabic origin, as a result of the Muslim period of Malta.[1][2]

There are various other proposed origins of the surname.

It may be traced back to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, incorporating the island of Sicily itself, the area around Naples, and the southern part of the Italian peninsula. The surname Cassar may have derived from the given name "Cesare," and further back from the Roman family name "Caesar." In Classical antiquity, the name "Caesar" was associated by folk etymology with the Latin word "caesaries" (meaning head of hair). The Maltese Cassar coat of arms has the Latin word "SPES" (meaning "hope") inscribed on it.

On the other hand, it may derive from a fairly common surname in Italy and Sicily: Cassara, or Cassarino, possibly from a nickname "cassaio" meaning "producer of cases". However these surnames may also be derived from the given name "Cesare" or "Caesar".

The most important representatives of the family are the Cassar Desain, marchese de Sain in Malta and the Cassar Torregiani, one of the richest family in the 19th century in Malta.

References

  1. ↑ Mario Cassar. "Vestiges of Arabic Nomenclature in Maltese Surnames". Academia. p. 19. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Kristina Chetcuti (9 February 2014). "Why most Maltese share the same 100 surnames". Times of Malta. Retrieved 27 February 2015.

Bibliography

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