Gauci

Gauci is a surname found mainly in Malta. According to the Dictionary of American Family Names, it originated in Italy, flourished in Malta and from Malta spread to the UK, US, Canada and Australia with the Maltese diaspora; this would be due to the immigration (and also exile) of large numbers of people from Italy to Malta, although the name still appears in Italy. However, according to Professor Joseph Aquilina, Malta's foremost specialist in Maltese etymology and author of the encyclopaedic Maltese–English Dictionary, the surname is a Maltese original formation, originating in the medieval notarial transcription of the word "Għawdxi", meaning Gozitan or from the island of Gozo. As such, "Għawdxi" is a nickname frequently given to Gozitans living or working in Malta. This origin would classify Italian holders of the surname as descendants of Maltese immigrants, rather than vice versa.