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Fitzgibbon: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac GiobĂșin · 'son of Gibbon' (a diminutive of Gilbert)

Woulfe (1923) lists Fitzgibbon among the forms of Mac GiobĂșin, 'son of Gibbon' (a diminutive of Gilbert). He gives it as the name of a branch of the Burkes of Connacht in Co. Mayo and of a Co. Limerick family whose head was known as the White Knight. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 34 Fitzgibbon entries including spelling varieties (31 spelled Fitzgibbon), 32 of them in Munster.

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Coat of arms associated with the Fitzgibbon surname
Irish formMac GiobĂșin
Meaning'son of Gibbon' (a diminutive of Gilbert)
CountiesLimerick, Mayo
Other spellings3
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Fitzgibbon crest gifts

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Origin of the Fitzgibbon name

Woulfe: the name (1) of a branch of the Burkes of Connacht, seated west of Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo; and (2) of a Co. Limerick family, 'usually said to be a branch of the Geraldines, but really descended from Gilbert de Clare', who held the manor of Mahoonagh at the beginning of the 14th century.[1]

  1. Beginning of the 14th centuryWoulfe: Gilbert de Clare held the manor of Mahoonagh and other estates in Co. Limerick.[1]
  2. 1582Four Masters: David-an-Chomhraic, 'son of John Oge, son of John Fitz-Gibbon, Lord of Coill-mor', died.[3]
  3. 1600Four Masters: the Earl of Thomond burned corn and dwellings in 'Clann-Gibbon, the country of the White Knight'.[4]
  4. 189034 birth entries including spelling varieties (31 spelled Fitzgibbon); 32 in Munster.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. LimerickWoulfe's Co. Limerick family; Matheson: Limerick 'contains more than 50 per cent.' of 1890 entries.[1][2]
Co. MayoWoulfe: the Burke branch was seated west of Croagh Patrick, in Co. Mayo.[1]

Notable people named Fitzgibbon

John FitzGibbon, Earl of Clare1749–1802Webb: born near Donnybrook; called to the Irish Bar 1772; created viscount 1793 and Earl of Clare 1795; died 28 January 1802.[5]

Other spellings

Fitz Gibbon · MacGibbon · Gibbon[1]

The Fitzgibbon coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Fitzgibbon 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.

Fitzgibbon surname: questions

What does the surname Fitzgibbon mean?

Woulfe lists Fitzgibbon among the forms of Mac GiobĂșin, 'son of Gibbon' (a diminutive of Gilbert).[1]

Who was the White Knight?

Woulfe says the head of the Co. Limerick Fitzgibbon family was known as the White Knight.[1]

Is Fitzgibbon a Geraldine name?

Woulfe says the Limerick family is 'usually said to be a branch of the Geraldines, but really descended from Gilbert de Clare', who held the manor of Mahoonagh and other estates in Co. Limerick at the beginning of the 14th century. That is his own view.[1]

Where was Fitzgibbon found in Ireland in 1890?

Matheson counts 34 Fitzgibbon birth entries in 1890 (31 spelled Fitzgibbon, the total including spelling varieties), 32 of them in Munster; Limerick contained more than 50 per cent.[2]

Sources

  1. Mac GiobĂșin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giobuin.php
  2. Fitzgibbon — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/fitzgibbon.php
  3. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1582 (part 9) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005E/text009.html
  4. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1600 (part 12) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005F/text012.html
  5. FitzGibbon, John, Earl of Clare — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/JohnFitzGibbonEarlofClare.php

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