There is a theory about the origin of the name of the town which claims that “totalán” means “pastry” in Arabic.
Name of its inhabitants: Totalanenos or totalenos.

• Famous personolities:

Antonio Molina was a very famous post-Spanish Civil War flamenco singer, who sang ballads or light music. Although he was born in Málaga, people from this town feel he belongs there as he spent his infancy in thetown and his parents came from Totalán.

Enrique Castillo, a famous flamenco singer, is one of the most outstanding ones from the province of Malaga. He obtained 17 awards in different styles of flamenco singing and another 14 in “saetas” in contests.

Manuel Vertedor was a escaped convict from the prison in Cartagena who joined El Bizco de El Borge’s band. He was killed at the hands of the Guardia Civil in 1.887.

• Legend:

There is a belief, which people take as a legend, that in a place called Cerro de la Corona (Hill of the Crown), which was popularly known as Tumba del Moro (Moor’s Tomb), there exists the tomb of a Moorish leader. The legend continues in spite of the fact that in 1995 a group of school children discovered a Neolithic passage corresponding to a dolmen, contemporary to those in Antequera, where they found human bones which are 4,000 years old. In spite of this discovery, people still believe in the ancient legend of the moor’s tomb and of the possible treasure which was buried with the leader.

An interesting matter is covered in some document which talk about the existence of various country houses in the area called Tortela, Tortila and Totalán; this brings us back the theory that the famous and typical Andalusi pastries were made in some of these places but up to now no trace has been found of this craft.