Fitssimmons History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

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 Fitssimmons 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 Fitssimmons is Mac Shiomóin. Variations in the spelling of this surname were extremely common.

Early Origins of the Fitssimmons family

The surname Fitssimmons 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 Fitssimmons family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fitssimmons 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 Fitssimmons History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fitssimmons Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, a single person often had their name recorded by church officials and scribes many different ways. Names were typically spelt as they sounded, which resulted in many different spelling variations. The many versions of the name Fitssimmons to have been recorded over the years include: Fitzsimmons, FitzSimon, FitzSimons, FitzKimmons, FitzKimmins, FitzSymons, Fitzsimmins, Fitzsymmons, Fitzkimmons, Fitzkimmins, Fitzsimon, Fitzsymons and many more.

Early Notables of the Fitssimmons 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 Fitssimmons Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fitssimmons family

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 Fitssimmons: Thomas Fitzsimmons who settled in Maryland in 1776; P. Fitzsimmons settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1821; Edward Fitzsimmons settled in New York in 1822.