Fitzsimons History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Despite the fact that the Irish already had developed a system of hereditary surnames, the Anglo-Norman invaders imported their own naming principles. The Strongbow invasion marked the first introduction of non-Gaelic elements into Ireland. One of the most common types of surnames at this time was the patronymic surname, which was formed from the name of the initial bearer's father. Often, and especially in the case of French names, this was done through the addition of a diminutive suffix to the given name, such as "-ot," "-et," "-un," "-in," or "-el." Occasionally, two suffixes were combined to form a double diminutive, as in the combinations of "-el-in," "-el-ot," "-in-ot," and "-et-in." Another way of forming patronymic names used by the Strongbownians was the use of the prefix "Fitz-," which was derived from the French word "fils," and ultimately from the Latin "filius," both of which mean "son." Although this prefix probably originated in Flanders or Normandy, it is now unknown in France and is found only in Ireland. The surname Fitzsimons is derived from the personal name Simon. The common Norman form of this name was Simund, which was ultimately derived from the personal name "Shim'on," which is derived from the verb "sham'a," which means to "hearken." The name features the distinctive Irish patronymic prefix "Fitz," which means "son of" in Anglo-French. The Gaelic form of the surname Fitzsimons is Mac Shiomóin. Variations in the spelling of this surname were extremely common.
Early Origins of the Fitzsimons family
The surname Fitzsimons was first found in County Cavan, where they had been granted lands by the Earl of Pembroke for their assistance in the Anglo/Norman invasion in 1172. Though Fitzsimmons is an ancient name in Ireland, the surname is actually derived from the Normans and made its way into Ireland by way of England.
"This family came from England to Leinster in 1323. Earlier than that it was in Mayo. " 1
Early History of the Fitzsimons family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fitzsimons research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1200, 1323, 1476, 1478, 1485, 1496, 1498, 1505, 1511, 1566 and 1643 are included under the topic Early Fitzsimons History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Fitzsimons Spelling Variations
It was found during an investigation of the origins of the name Fitzsimons that church officials and medieval scribes often spelled the name as it sounded. This practice lead to a single person's being documented under many spelling variations. The name Fitzsimons has existed in the various shapes: Fitzsimmons, FitzSimon, FitzSimons, FitzKimmons, FitzKimmins, FitzSymons, Fitzsimmins, Fitzsymmons, Fitzkimmons, Fitzkimmins, Fitzsimon, Fitzsymons and many more.
Early Notables of the Fitzsimons family
Notable amongst the family up to this time was Walter Fitzsimon, (d. 1511), Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland (1496-1498.) He was precentor of St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1476; he was the chapter's proxy...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fitzsimons Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Fitzsimons migration to the United States +
In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Fitzsimons:
Fitzsimons Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- George Fitzsimons, who arrived in America in 1795 2
Fitzsimons Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Ally Fitzsimons, aged 23, who arrived in Maine in 1812 2
- Patrick Fitzsimons, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 2
- James Fitzsimons, who settled in New York in 1853
- John Fitzsimons, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1854 2
Fitzsimons migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Fitzsimons Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Jeremiah Fitzsimons, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749
Fitzsimons Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Anne Fitzsimons, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1812
Fitzsimons migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Fitzsimons Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Richard Fitzsimons, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1837 3
- Mrs. Alice Fitzsimons, (Brady), Irish convict who was convicted in Cavan, Ireland for larceny, transported aboard the "East London" on 10th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), she died in 1843 aboard the ship 4
Fitzsimons migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Fitzsimons Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Terrene Fitzsimons, aged 26, a carpenter, who arrived in Bluff, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1875 5
Contemporary Notables of the name Fitzsimons (post 1700) +
- Lieutenant William T. Fitzsimons (1889-1917), United States Army officer in World War I
- George Kinzie Fitzsimons (1928-2013), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop of Salina from 1984 to 2004
- Dan Fitzsimons (b. 1969), American screenwriter
- Pat Fitzsimons (b. 1950), American professional golfer
- Dustin Fitzsimons (b. 1986), American actor
- W. Dennis FitzSimons, American politician, Representative from Michigan 6th District, 2004 6
- Thomas Fitzsimons (1741-1811), American politician, Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1782; Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1786-89 6
- Maurice J. Fitzsimons Jr. (b. 1906), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly from Fond du Lac County 1st District, 1933-40 6
- Joan Kriete Fitzsimons, American Republican politician, Candidate for New Jersey State House of Assembly 33rd District, 1975 6
- James J. Fitzsimons, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Berlin, 1912 6
- ... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Fitzsimons family +
Lady of the Lake
- Mr. James Fitzsimons, Irish traveller from County Down, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and he survived the sinking
Citations +
- MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837Navarino.htm
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/east-london
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html