▁is ▁a ▁M alt ese ▁surname . ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁M alt ese ▁lingu ist ▁Mario ▁Cass ar , ▁the ▁surname ▁is ▁of ▁Arab ic ▁origin , ▁and ▁der ives ▁from ▁the ▁Muslim ▁period ▁of ▁Mal ta . ▁there ▁are ▁also ▁various ▁other ▁proposed ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁surname .: ▁ ▁It ▁may ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁the ▁Two ▁Sic il ies , ▁incorpor ating ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Sic ily ▁itself , ▁the ▁area ▁around ▁Nap les , ▁and ▁the ▁southern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁pen ins ula . ▁The ▁surname ▁Cass ar ▁may ▁have ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁given ▁name ▁" C es are ," ▁and ▁further ▁back ▁from ▁the ▁Roman ▁family ▁name ▁" Ca esar ." ▁In ▁Class ical ▁anti qu ity , ▁the ▁name ▁" Ca esar " ▁was ▁associated ▁by ▁folk ▁et ym ology ▁with ▁the ▁Latin ▁word ▁" ca es aries " ▁( mean ing ▁head ▁of ▁hair ). ▁The ▁M alt ese ▁Cass ar ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁has ▁the ▁Latin ▁word ▁" SP ES " ▁( mean ing ▁" ho pe ") ▁ins cribed ▁on ▁it . ▁ ▁It ▁may ▁also ▁derive ▁from ▁a ▁fairly ▁common ▁surname ▁in ▁Italy ▁and ▁Sic ily : ▁Cass ara , ▁or ▁Cass ar ino , ▁possibly ▁from ▁a ▁nick name ▁" c assa io " ▁meaning ▁" produ cer ▁of ▁cases ". ▁However ▁these ▁s urn ames ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁given ▁name ▁" C es are " ▁or ▁" Ca esar ". ▁ ▁The ▁most