PSAILA

We first encounter this surname in Malta in the Militia Roster of 1417, though the surname Pousalè is recorded in Gozo in 1299 and may be an earlier rendering.

The most commonly associated origin of Psaila, as indicated in the coat of arms itself, relates to the Arabic bsajla meaning “onion” (basla in Maltese).

Other potential origins could include the Italian surname Basilia, from the Greek basileus, meaning “king royal” or the Siculo-Arabic personal name (A)bu Sala or  (A)bu Sayâl.