Fitz
A Norman-French surname element meaning “son of,” later used as a family name in its own right.
The #8,567 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 80,277 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Fitz comes from Anglo-Norman French le fitz, meaning “the son.” It ultimately goes back to Latin filius, “son,” through a French form that was used before a father’s name. In medieval records it often appeared as a prefix in names like FitzGerald or FitzWilliam, but in some cases it later stood alone as a surname.
History
In medieval England and Anglo-Norman society, Fitz was a common way to identify a man by his father’s name, especially among noble families. Over time, many such forms became inherited surnames, and some families kept Fitz as the fixed surname rather than just a prefix. A few old references also connect the name with the parish of Fitz in Shropshire, but the patronymic explanation is the standard one.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Many famous names such as FitzGerald and FitzWilliam began as “son of Gerald” and “son of William” before becoming hereditary surnames.
From the historical record
“forward, fierce, surly. Folks of Shields. FITZ. Occurs at the present day as a surname without any addition. This is prohablv local, from the parish of Fitz in Shropshire ; or it may he the Xorman-Fr., Le Fitz, " the Son "—like Cousin, Frere, Brother, &c. Fiz. H.R. |^°FITZ. A Norman-French prefix, sig- nifying son…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom