Fitzgerald
An Anglo-Norman patronymic meaning “son of Gerald,” long associated with a famous Irish noble family.
The #430 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,097 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Fitz- is the Anglo-Norman form of French fils, “son,” ultimately from Latin filius. Gerald is a personal name of Germanic origin, usually explained as meaning something like “rule of the spear” or “spear-ruler.” So Fitzgerald originally meant “son of Gerald.”
History
The name came to Ireland with the Anglo-Norman settlement and became especially prominent through the great Fitzgerald family, earls of Kildare and Desmond. Historical writers note that the name spread so widely that many unrelated families came to bear it, and variant spellings such as Fitz-Gerald or Fitzgerald became standard. In Irish usage, the surname was sometimes rendered in Gaelicized forms, including Mac Gearailt.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the Fitzgeralds were so influential in Ireland, the surname became one of the classic examples of an Anglo-Norman family name that rose to major political prominence.
From the historical record
“tlie arms." Nisbet. FITZGERALD.* In the Description of Ireland in Plolinshed's Chronicle is the following passage, shewing by what mean tricks this name became so widely diffused as we now find it. " The corrupt orthogra- phic that divers use in writing this name, doth incorporate it to houses thereto linked in no…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Fitzgerald
- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)
- Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996)
- Zelda Fitzgerald (1900–1948)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.