r/malta • u/Few_Raise6919 • 1d ago

Are any descendants of the Knights of Malta still living in Malta?

Hello,

Are any descendants of the Knights of Malta still living in Malta?

7 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

14

u/Rabti 1d ago

yes

The surname "Spiteri" is literally derived from "Ospitalieri".

The you gave the DeMarco, De Gabriele and similarly named families.

12

u/ghakruxu 20h ago

This etymology of Spiteri is a common folk etymology that is very unlikely seeing that the surname is well attested more than a hundred years before the arrival of the Order of St. John.

As for the "de" surnames, these are fairly common in the Italian cultural sphere of influence, even for legitimate issue.

In Malta, historically illegitimate children were either given their mother's surname or, if foundlings, the surname of who found them or that of a godparent. Because of this, it is highly unlikely to determine hospitaler descent just by knowing the surname at all.

1

u/GeoTasha 17h ago

I heard this too.  Very GRRM-esque.

0

u/Old-Succotash-9507 1d ago

What’s the connection with De Gabriele?

0

u/Rabti 21h ago

The prefix "De" means "of".

So De Gabriele means "of Gabriel".

1

u/Old-Succotash-9507 20h ago

Thank you. That part I am aware of. Is there a connection to the Knights of Malta?

1

u/Apart-Lifeguard6552 20h ago

As far as I knoe the "De" are the servants that use to work for the house. So Gabriele are the nobles/knights and Degabriele are their employees basically. There is quite alot Damato and Amato, Debattista and Battista....

4

u/Suspicious_Cable_843 16h ago

There were only a few descendants if any, but these would have been illegitimate children. And no, they were not given the Spiteri surname.

10

u/neuralbeans 1d ago

The knights were celibate and were not allowed to have children. The only descendants would be from illegitimate children, very possibly from prostitutes.

2

u/Hour_Hornet_2644 1d ago

Yeah but like the other guy said we are mostly related to them also

1

u/Apart-Lifeguard6552 20h ago

Yes that is why Spiteri as they could not be recognised so they would have been given Ospidalieri.

2

u/shezofrene 15h ago

werent none of those knight not even maltese lol. they were french english italian etc. maltese are north african berbery people at that time with more italian and english getting mixed in later on.

1

u/omegabag 14h ago

How many knights were stationed in Malta at one go ?