Fenech is a surname about whose origins there are several hypotheses. The most notable is the meaning of "rabbit", since is rabbit in

Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...

. This in turn comes from the

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...

word for fox, (, "

fennec fox The fennec fox (''Vulpes zerda'') is a small crepuscular fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and l ...

") which like the rabbit has large ears as its distinguishing feature and may have been confused during the development of the Maltese language, which is a descendant of the

Siculo-Arabic Siculo-Arabic ( ar, الْلهجَة الْعَرَبِيَة الْصَقلِيَة), also known as Sicilian Arabic, is the term used for varieties of Arabic that were spoken in the Emirate of Sicily (which included Malta) from the 9th century ...

dialect. The word is also thought to be a respelling of , the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

for

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets ...

farmer. A possible

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

derivation of the word has also been suggested.

"Phoenician" variation

Another variation is formed from the word ''

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their his ...

ns''. In fact, some bearers of this surname use the horse, a Phoenician symbol, on their crest rather than the rabbit.

"Fenwick" variation

Another variation is an

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

one where it is derived from a family living in ''Fenwick'', which was in

Northumberland Northumberland () is a ceremonial counties of England, county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Ab ...

and the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...

. This name was originally derived from the English ''

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires. T ...

n'' which means "marsh" and ''

wic The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is an American federal assistance program of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for healthcare and nutrition ...

'', which means "a farm". The surname Fenwick is still widely found in northern England and has spread through most English-speaking countries.

Notable people

Chantal Bondin Chantal Marie Bondin (née Fenech; born 25 March 1980) is a Maltese footballer who plays as a midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up atta ...

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth ...

Fenech (born 1980), Maltese footballer *

David Fenech David Fenech (born 19 July 1969) is a French composer, guitarist and singer. His style has been described as 'a kind of punk musique concrète' He uses the studio as an instrument, using a large panel of recording techniques. He has played and re ...

(born 1969), French musician *

Eddie Fenech Adami Edoardo "Eddie" Fenech Adami, (born 7 February 1934) is a Maltese politician and Nationalist politician who served as the prime minister of Malta from 1987 until 1996, and again from 1998 until 2004. Subsequently, he was the seventh presiden ...

(born 1934), Prime Minister of Malta *

Edwige Fenech Edwige Fenech (, ; born 24 December 1948) is an Algerian-born Maltese-Sicilian actress and film producer. She is mostly known as the star of a series of ''commedia sexy all'italiana'' and ''giallo'' films released in the 1970s, which turned her ...

(born 1948), Maltese-Italian actress and producer *

Francis Fenech Francis Xavier Fenech (17 March 1892 – 13 May 1969) was a Maltese prelate who became the first bishop of Jhansi in India. He was born in Floriana Malta on 17 March 1892. He studied at St Aloysius College in Birkirkara. At the age of 19 he join ...

(1892–1969), Maltese prelate who became a bishop in India *

Georges Fenech Georges Vincent Antoine Fenech (born 26 October 1954) is a French former magistrate and politician. A member of The Republicans (LR), he represented the 11th constituency of the Rhône department in the National Assembly from 2002 to 2008 and ...

(born 1954), French politician *

Jeff Fenech Jeff Fenech (born 28 May 1964) is an Australian former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2008. He won world titles in three weight divisions, having held the IBF bantamweight title from 1985 to 1987, the WBC super-bantamweight t ...

(born 1964), Maltese-Australian boxer *

Mario Fenech Mario Fenech (nicknamed "The Maltese Falcon", “Falcon”, or "Muzza"; born 11 November 1961) is a Maltese Australian rugby league personality. He is a former player of the game who had a lengthy career in the New South Wales/Australian Rugb ...

(born 1961), Maltese-Australian rugby player *

Paul Fenech Paul Fenech (born 21 November 1972) is an Australian filmmaker, film and television actor, director, producer and writer. He is best known for writing, directing, producing and starring in the television series ''Pizza'', '' Swift and Shift Co ...

(born 1972), Maltese-Australian comedian *

Paul Fenech (footballer) Paul Fenech (born 20 December 1986) is a Maltese footballer who plays for Maltese Premier League side Balzan FC, where he plays as a midfielder. Playing career Fenech is a Naxxar Lions product, then moved on to play for Msida Saint-Joseph, wit ...

(born 1986), Maltese footballer *

Ryan Fenech Ryan Fenech (born 20 April 1986 in Ħamrun, Malta) is a retired professional footballer where he played as a midfielder. Playing career Ħamrun Spartans Ryan Fenech joined Ħamrun Spartans as a trainee, and made his debut for the club during th ...

(born 1986), Maltese footballer *

Tonio Fenech Tonio Fenech (born 5 May 1969) is a Maltese politician who served in the government of Malta as Minister of Finance, Economy and Investment from March 2008 to March 2013,Yorgen Fenech Yorgen Fenech (born 23 November 1981) is a Maltese businessman whose main interests are casinos and hotels in Malta. He was head of the Tumas Group and director of the Maltese-Azerbaijan-German company ElectroGas Malta. Suspected of bribing m ...

(born 1981), Maltese businessman

References

{{surname Maltese-language surnames

"Phoenician" variation

"Fenwick" variation

Notable people

See also

References