Show ContentsFitzsimon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Fitzsimon Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Fitzsimon

What does the name Fitzsimon mean?

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

Early Origins of the Fitzsimon family

The surname Fitzsimon 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 Fitzsimon family

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

Fitzsimon Spelling Variations

Since church officials and medieval scribes spelt each name as it sounded to them; as a result, a single person could accumulate many different versions of his name within official records. A close examination of the origins of the name Fitzsimon revealed the following spelling variations: Fitzsimmons, FitzSimon, FitzSimons, FitzKimmons, FitzKimmins, FitzSymons, Fitzsimmins, Fitzsymmons, Fitzkimmons, Fitzkimmins, Fitzsimon, Fitzsymons and many more.

Early Notables of the Fitzsimon 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. (NBi...
  • Henry Fitzsimon (1566-1643), was an Irish Jesuit, born at Dublin on 31 May 1566, and was son of Nicholas Fitzsimon, an alderman or 'senator' of that city. 2

Fitzsimon migration to the United States +

Ireland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Fitzsimon:

Fitzsimon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Fitzsimon, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1845

Fitzsimon migration to Australia +

Fitzsimon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mary Fitzsimon, aged 20, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Thomas Arbuthnot"

Fitzsimon 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:

Fitzsimon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Fitzsimon, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Janet Cowan" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 3rd January 1875 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Fitzsimon (post 1700) +

  • Laurence Julius FitzSimon (1895-1958), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
  • Henry Fitzsimon (1566-1643), Irish Jesuit controversialist
  • Walter Fitzsimon (b. 1511), Irish statesman and cleric
  1. MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

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