Sliema acquired its name from a chapel dedicated to The Our Lady of The Sea (or Stella Maris) built in 1855, which served as a reference point to the fishermen who inhabited the area. The name is linked to the opening words of the Hail Mary prayer, which in Maltese are "Sliem Għalik Marija". Sliem is the Maltese word meaning peace or serenity. Sliema is quite a large residential town with a population of around 15,000 locals; housing also a significant number of expatriates that reside there temporarily.