Its name refers to the shipwreck of Saint Paul, as documented in the Acts of the Apostles, due to the tradition that Saint Paul was shipwrecked on the isles, named St. Paul's Isles, which are situated in St Paul's Bay.

The localities of Burmarrad, Qawra, BuÄ¡ibba, Xemxija, Mselliet, and San Martin as well as part of Bidnija and Mistra, form part of the San Pawl il-Baħar Local Council. The area of the locality is 14.47km².

The resident population in November 2005 stood at 13,619 persons. This population goes up to about 60,000 during the period of June to September. The increase is due both to Maltese summer residents and tourists lodging in hotels, especially in Buġibba and Qawra.