A 35-year-old woman called Mellieha says she is very proud of the name, and its connections with Malta.

Mellieha Louise Nailor, from Harvington, Worcestershire, was so named after her parents fell in love with the village in Malta when they came on holiday and stayed at the Mellieha Bay Hotel.

Contacted by Times of Malta, Ms Nailor admitted that the origins of her name, which had Semitic roots, raised the curiosity of many in her country.

In reality, she is simply known as Mel but some call her Mellia.

Her mother, Veronica, is holidaying in Malta for the first time in 15 years.

“My late husband, Ivor, and I came here 36 years ago and we stayed at the Mellieħa Bay Hotel. We fell in love with the place and decided that, if it were to be a girl, that was what we were going to call our daughter,” she recounted.  

Former Mellieħa mayor and Nationalist MP Robert Cutajar said he had been in contact with Mellieha Nailor for a number of years after coincidentally becoming aware of her name while doing an internet search.

He said that, if she were to visit Malta, the local council should consider giving her some sort of recognition as a form of appreciation for bearing the name of his locality.