Fitzsimmon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of Fitzsimmon

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

Early Origins of the Fitzsimmon family

Early History of the Fitzsimmon family

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

Fitzsimmon Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Fitzsimmon revealed many spelling variations including Fitzsimmons, FitzSimon, FitzSimons, FitzKimmons, FitzKimmins, FitzSymons, Fitzsimmins, Fitzsymmons, Fitzkimmons, Fitzkimmins, Fitzsimon, Fitzsymons and many more.

Early Notables of the Fitzsimmon family

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 in a parliament held in 1478. 2 Henry Fitzsimon (1566-1643)...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fitzsimmon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fitzsimmon family

During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Fitzsimmon: 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.