Schembri (/ˈʃkɛmbri/ ; [shkem-bree]) is an Italian/Maltese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Derivation
It is an Italian/Maltese surname derived from the old Sicilian/Italian 'schombri' for mackerel. The origin of the name suggests that the Schembri family were originally fishermen that specialized in mackerel, therefore a surname connected to a profession rather than a place. There are also theories that it derives from the Maltese 'Xkembri', which is a type of lemon. In Malta and Italy/Sicily the surnames Schembri, Xkembri, Scembri and Schembari are simply variations of the same name with identical origin. Either way the surname originates in Sicily/Malta. Originally, the Schembri family where documented from Sicily and Southern Italy before moving to Malta in the 9th century where today the surname is prominent. However, it is possible that there were Schembris in Malta before this.