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Irish surname

Fitzmaurice: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Muiris · Woulfe: 'son of Maurice' (a name introduced by the Normans)

Woulfe (1923) lists Fitzmaurice among the forms of Mac Muiris (Mac Mhuiris), 'son of Maurice,' a name introduced by the Normans. He gives it as the name of a branch of the Geraldines in Kerry, lords of Lixnaw, and of a branch of the Prendergasts in Co. Mayo. In 1890, 21 Fitzmaurice birth entries were registered in Ireland, Kerry being the county in which principally found.

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Coat of arms associated with the Fitzmaurice surname
Irish formMac Muiris
MeaningWoulfe: 'son of Maurice' (a name introduced by the Normans)
CountiesKerry, Mayo
Other spellings5
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Fitzmaurice crest gifts

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Origin of the Fitzmaurice name

Woulfe: 'son of Maurice' (a name introduced by the Normans); the name (1) of a branch of the Geraldines in Kerry, who, as lords of Lixnaw, 'made a great figure in the history of that county'; and (2) of a branch of the Prendergasts in Co. Mayo.[1]

  1. 1253Four Masters: the Franciscan monastery of Ardfert was founded by Fitzmaurice of Kerry.[4]
  2. 1581Thomas FitzMaurice, Lord of Kerry, rises in rebellion and takes Adare and Lisconnell castles.[5]
  3. 1590Thomas FitzMaurice dies at Lixnaw on 16 December, aged about 88.[5]
  4. 189021 Fitzmaurice birth entries in Ireland: Leinster 4, Munster 10, Connaught 7.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. KerryWoulfe: Geraldine branch, lords of Lixnaw; Matheson 1890: counties in which principally found, Kerry.[1][2]
Co. MayoWoulfe: a branch of the Prendergasts in Co. Mayo bears the name.[1]

Notable people named Fitzmaurice

Thomas FitzMaurice, Lord of Kerryb. 1502, d. 1590Webb, citing Lodge: born 1502, soldier in Milan, obtained the family lands and title; died at Lixnaw 16 December 1590.[5]
James FitzMaurice16th centuryWebb: cousin of the 15th Earl of Desmond, styled by English writers 'James Geraldine' or 'the Arch Traitor'.[6]
William FitzMaurice, Earl of Shelburneb. 1737Webb: statesman, born in Dublin 20 May 1737; became Earl of Shelburne in the Irish peerage in 1761.[7]

Other spellings

Fitzmorice · Fitzmorris · Maurice · MacMorris · M'Maurice[3]

The Fitzmaurice coat of arms

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

Fitzmaurice surname: questions

What does the surname Fitzmaurice mean?

Woulfe lists Fitzmaurice among the forms of Mac Muiris (Mac Mhuiris), 'son of Maurice' (a name introduced by the Normans).[1]

Is Fitzmaurice an Irish or a Norman name?

Woulfe says the personal name Maurice was introduced by the Normans, and that Mac Muiris is the name of a branch of the Geraldines in Kerry and of a branch of the Prendergasts in Co. Mayo.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Fitzmaurice name from?

Woulfe places a Geraldine branch in Kerry, as lords of Lixnaw, and a Prendergast branch in Co. Mayo. In 1890 Matheson gives 21 Fitzmaurice birth entries (Munster 10, Connaught 7, Leinster 4), with Kerry the county in which principally found.[1][2]

What do the Four Masters say about the Fitzmaurices?

Four Masters: the Franciscan monastery of Ardfert was founded by Fitzmaurice of Kerry (annal of 1253 in the CELT edition).[4]

Sources

  1. Mac Muiris, Mac Mhuiris — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macm/mac-muiris-mac-mhuiris.php
  2. Fitzmaurice — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/fitzmaurice.php
  3. FitzMaurice — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/621.php
  4. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), CELT edition (M1253.12), CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text009.html
  5. FitzMaurice, Thomas, Lord of Kerry — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ThomasFitzMauriceLordofKerry.php
  6. FitzMaurice, James — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/JamesFitzMaurice.php
  7. FitzMaurice, William, Earl of Shelburne — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/WilliamFitzMauriceEarlofShelburne.php

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