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Fitzgerald: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Gearailt · 'son of Gerald'

Fitzgerald is a Norman surname meaning 'son of Gerald'; Mac Gearailt is its Irish form. Woulfe (1923) says all the Irish families of the name descend from Maurice Fitzgerald, 'one of the companions of Strongbow', and that the heads of the Leinster and Munster branches were the Earls of Kildare (later Dukes of Leinster) and the Earls of Desmond. In 1890 the name was most numerous in Cork, Limerick and Kerry.

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Coat of arms associated with the Fitzgerald surname
Irish formMac Gearailt
Meaning'son of Gerald'
CountiesKildare, Cork, Limerick, Kerry
Other spellings1

Origin of the Fitzgerald name

Anglo-Norman. Woulfe: the Fitzgeralds 'rank with the Burkes and Butlers as one of the most illustrious of the Anglo-Norman families in Ireland', descended from Gerald, Constable of Pembroke, whose wife was Nest, daughter of Rhys Ap Tewdwyr. Their son Maurice was 'one of the companions of Strongbow', from whom 'are descended all the families of the name in Ireland'.[1]

  1. 1169FitzStephen lands in May; Maurice FitzGerald reaches Wexford soon after.[2]
  2. 1176Maurice is granted Offaly and Offelan (Maynooth and Naas).[2]
  3. 1177Maurice FitzGerald dies at Wexford in September.[2]
  4. 1504The 'Great Earl' of Kildare wins the battle of Knockdoe, near Galway.[3]
  5. 1534'Silken Thomas' renounces allegiance to Henry VIII at St Mary's Abbey.[4]
  6. 1537Silken Thomas and his five uncles executed at Tyburn, 3 February.[4]
  7. 1798Lord Edward FitzGerald, United Irish leader, dies in Newgate, 4 June.[5]
  8. 1890Fitzgerald ranks 36th in Ireland, about 14,700 people (Matheson).[6]

Where in Ireland

Co. KildareThe head of the Leinster branch was Earl of Kildare; Maurice was granted Offelan, comprising Maynooth and Naas.[1][2]
Co. CorkNamed first of the counties where Fitzgeralds were most numerous in 1890.[7]
Co. LimerickAmong the three Munster counties with most Fitzgeralds in 1890.[7]
Co. KerryAmong the three Munster counties with most Fitzgeralds in 1890.[7]

Notable people named Fitzgerald

Maurice FitzGeraldd. 1177Anglo-Norman leader, son of Nesta; reached Wexford soon after FitzStephen's landing of May 1169; his descendants are called Geraldines.[2]
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildared. 1513The 'Great Earl'; Lord-Deputy; victor at Knockdoe in 1504; Webb says he first introduced artillery into Ireland.[3]
Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare1513–1537'Silken Thomas'; rebelled against Henry VIII in 1534; executed at Tyburn aged 24.[4]
Lord Edward FitzGerald1763–1798Son of the 1st Duke of Leinster; military leader of the United Irishmen; died of wounds after his arrest.[5]

Other spellings

FitzGerald[1]

The Fitzgerald coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Fitzgerald surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Fitzgerald crest gifts

Clan Fitzgerald Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapDY93 Classic Cap - Fitzgerald Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Fitzgerald Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Fitzgerald surname: questions

Is Fitzgerald an Irish or a Norman name?

Norman. Woulfe calls Mac Gearailt 'the Irish form of the Norman surname FitzGerald', one of the most illustrious Anglo-Norman families in Ireland.[1]

What does Fitzgerald mean?

'Son of Gerald'. Woulfe names the ancestor as Gerald, Constable of Pembroke, who flourished in the early 12th century.[1]

Who were the Geraldines?

Webb says the descendants of Maurice FitzGerald, son of Nesta and Gerald FitzWalter, 'are consequently styled Geraldines, as well as FitzGeralds'.[2]

Where in Ireland is the Fitzgerald name from?

Woulfe says the head of the Leinster branch was Earl of Kildare (later Duke of Leinster), and the head of the Munster Fitzgeralds was Earl of Desmond. In 1890 the name was most numerous in Cork, Limerick and Kerry.[1][7]

Sources

  1. Mac Gearailt — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-gearailt.php
  2. Maurice FitzGerald — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/MauriceFitzGerald.php
  3. Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/GeraldFitzGerald8thEarlofKildare.php
  4. Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare ('Silken Thomas') — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/SilkenThomasFitzGerald10thEarlofKildar...
  5. Lord Edward FitzGerald — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/LordEdwardFitzGerald.php
  6. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  7. Fitzgerald — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/fitzgerald.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).