GRISCTI / GRIXTI

First Recorded in Malta in the 1419 Militia Roster, there are references to this surname in Sicily dating back to 1182.

Almost certainly connected to the former Sicilian feudal domain of Gristi, itself most likely from the Greek kharistus, meaning "donated gift". In Maltese, grixti originally meant "awkward, discourteous" though these days it refers to someone timid or reserved.

One of the more fascinating examples of Maltese heraldry, this coat of arms shows Heracles donning his Nemean lion skin and wielding a wooden club.