Fysh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancient name of Fysh finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a someone who worked with fish. As one would expect, it is derived from the Old English word fisc, which meant fish. 1

The name is both a forename and surname as "Fisc occurs as a personal name in the Domesday Book of 1086. 2 3

In Normandy where some of the family originated, the family was known by Piscis. And there we found the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listing Osmond de Piscis or Pisce, William and John, occuring in Normandy, 1180-1195. This spelling prevailed in some cases as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed William de Piscis in England at that time. "The name was afterwards translated." 4

Early Origins of the Fysh family

The surname Fysh was first found in Lincolnshire where Ernis Fish was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1202. A few years later, Daniel Fisc was listed in Suffolk in 1208 and Robert Fisk was listed in Nottingham in 1230. Robert le Fysch was listed in 1297. 3

Up in Scotland, "William Fysch appears as burgess of Edinbergh in 1423, and Gilbert Fysche recorded as burgess there in 1483 had a charter of part of the lands of Estir halys in the regality of Mussilburgh in the same year." 5

Early History of the Fysh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fysh research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1483, 1525, 1531, 1614, 1621, 1658 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Fysh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fysh Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Fysh family name include Fish, Fishe and others.

Early Notables of the Fysh family

Distinguished members of the family include Simon Fish (died 1531), a 16th century Protestant reformer and English propagandist, best known for helping to spread William Tyndale’s New Testament. He was a "member of the University of Oxford, and entered Gray's Inn about 1525...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fysh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fysh family to Ireland

Some of the Fysh family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fysh family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Fysh surname or a spelling variation of the name include : William Fish who settled in Connecticut in 1630; John Fish settled in Boston in 1630; Gabriel Fish settled in New Hampshire in 1632; Christopher Fish settled in Barbados in 1635.

Contemporary Notables of the name Fysh (post 1700) +

Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh (1895-1974), Australian decorated aviator, and businessman, founder of the Australian airline company Qantas
Sir Philip Oakley Fysh KCMG (1835-1919), English-born, Australian politician, Premier of Tasmania (1877-1878, 1887-1892), Postmaster-General (1903-1904)
Marcus John Hudson Fysh (b. 1970), British politician and former investment manager, Member of Parliament (MP) for Yeovil in 2015, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exports (2022)
Sir Hudson Fysh (1895-1974), Australian aviator and founder of QANTAS

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)