Fitch
A surname with two old English possibilities: it may come from the word for a polecat, or from a shortened form of Fitz.
The #1,885 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 16,199 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually explained in one of two ways. One is from Middle English fitch, meaning a polecat, probably first used as a nickname or sign-name for someone associated with the animal or with furriery. Another is that it may be a reduced or altered form of Fitz, the Anglo-Norman prefix meaning "son of," though this is less certain.
History
Early surname records show the name in medieval England, and 19th-century writers already disagreed about whether it was a nickname from the animal name or a corruption of Fitz. The form also appears alongside related surnames such as Fitchett, which was often discussed in the same group of names. In later centuries Fitch spread widely in England and then to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books explicitly gloss Fitch as "the fitch," meaning a polecat, which is why it is sometimes grouped with other animal-based surnames.
From the historical record
“FITCH Firmin Capell, co. Camb., I^3> A. Firman de Lavenham, co. Norf., 1324 : PP. vi. 104. Robertas Permjra, si^m^r^ 1379: P. T. Yorks. p. 09. Pirmine Rookwood,”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)Notable people named Fitch
- Val Logsdon Fitch (1923–2015)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.