Fitz

Fitz forms a prefix to patronymic surnames of Anglo-Norman origin. This usage derives from the Norman "fiz" / "filz" , prononciation: /fits/ (dialectal for French "fils" < Latin "filius"), meaning "son of", which was coupled with the name of the father ("e.g." Fitz Gilbert, meaning "son of Gilbert"), although there are exceptions in which the name of a more noteworthy mother (Fitz Wymarch), or parent's title (Fitz Count, Fitz Empress) was instead used.

History

This usage arose prior to the development of inherited surnames, and such forms were originally not inherited, changing with each generation along with the given name of the father. With the development of inherited surnames, most Anglo-Norman families abandoned this form in favor of geographic, descriptive or occupational surnames, but in a subset of families a single form of the patronymic (e.g. Fitz Alan, FitzGerald) became fixed and passed as an inherited surname, independent of the paternal given names of the succeeding generations. See family name.

This usage was particularly common among the descendants of Anglo-Norman families settled in Ireland, perhaps in imitation of the native patronymic forms "Mc/Mac" ("son of") and "O" ("grandson/descendant of").

Adoption by other nationalities

In later times, similar forms were coined for members of the English and British royal family, who historically lacked a surname, and particularly for illegitimate children of kings and princes (Fitzroy, son of the king; Fitzjames, son of the king James II of England; and FitzClarence, son of the Duke of Clarence). From this later use, it has been implied that the name indicates illegitimacy, which was not originally the case.

The Irish name Fitzpatrick is not of Norman origin; it is an Anglicisation the Gaelic surname Mac Giolla Phádraig. Other surnames beginning "Mac Giolla" were made into "Magilla-" (e.g. Magillacuddy), but the Fitzpatricks claimed Norman heritage in a time when the Normans dominated much of Ireland.

Fitz is also a stand-alone German surname originating in the Palatinate region of Germany.

urnames with the prefix

*Fitzakerly
*FitzAlan or Fitzalan
*FitzArnold
*FitzClarence or Fitzclarence
*Fitzduncan
*FitzEustace
*FitzGeorge or Fitzgeorge
*FitzGerald or Fitzgerald
*Fitzgibbon
*Fitzgilbert
*Fitzharris
*Fitzharold
*Fitzhenry
*FitzHerbert or Fitzherbert
*FitzHugh or Fitzhugh
*FitzJames or Fitzjames
*FitzLee
*Fitzmaurice
*Fitzmorris
*Fitzpatrick
*FitzRalph
*FitzRandolph
*Fitzrichard
*FitzRoy or Fitzroy
*Fitzsimmons
*Fitzsimon
*Fitzsimons or FitzSimons
*Fitzstephen
*Fitzstevens
*Fitzwalter
*Fitzwater
*Fitzwilliam or FitzWilliam

People

Prefix

* For specific person with surname or given name prefix "Fitz", see the family name.

urname

* "Fitz", a shortform for Fitzpatrick
* Armando Fitz (b. ?), American, NASCAR Busch Series team
* Brent Fitz (b. 1970), Canadian rock drummer
* Joseph Fitz (1886 - 1945), American Medal of Honor recipient
* Reginald Heber Fitz (1843 - 1913), American physician
* Veronika Fitz (b. 1936), German television actress;Variant spelling
* Eva-Maria Fitze (b. 1982), German figure skater

Given name

* Fitz Babbitt (1785 - 1815), American military officer; the destroyer "USS Babbitt" (DD-128) was named for him
* Fitz Hinds (1880 - ?), West Indian cricketer
* Fitz Lee (d. 1899), American, Medal of Honor recipient
* Fitzhugh Lee (1835-1905), called Fitz by contemporaries, U.S. Civil War cavalry commander and Governor of Virginia
* Fitz Remedios Santana de Souza (b. 1929), Kenyan lawyer and former politician of Indian origin
* FitzChivalry Farseer, fictional character and protagonist in Robin Hobb's books. Son of Chivalry Farseer

Notes