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Irish surname

Fitzsimons: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Síomóin; Mac an Ridire (Westmeath) · 'son of Simon,' or 'son of Sigemund' (a Teutonic personal name); Woulfe says these two names have been confused

Woulfe (1923) calls the Fitzsimons 'an old and respectable family of English origin in Dublin and Westmeath', and Matheson (1909) gives Fitzsimons as an example of Irish surnames 'traceable to an Anglo-Norman source'. In Irish the name is Mac Síomóin; the FitzSimons of Co. Westmeath assumed the Irish surname Mac an Ridire, 'son of the knight'.

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Coat of arms associated with the Fitzsimons surname
Irish formMac Síomóin; Mac an Ridire (Westmeath)
Meaning'son of Simon,' or 'son of Sigemund' (a Teutonic personal name); Woulfe says these two names have been confused
CountiesDublin, Westmeath, Down, Cavan
Other spellings5
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Fitzsimons crest gifts

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Origin of the Fitzsimons name

An old family of English origin in Dublin and Westmeath (Woulfe), counted by Matheson among names of Anglo-Norman source. Irish form Mac Síomóin, 'son of Simon' or 'son of Sigemund'. The FitzSimons of Co. Westmeath assumed the Irish surname Mac an Ridire ('son of the knight').[1][2][4]

  1. 1484Walter FitzSimons consecrated Archbishop of Dublin.[6]
  2. 1487Archbishop FitzSimons joins the Earl of Kildare and others in crowning Simnel.[6]
  3. 1599Henry FitzSimon, Jesuit prisoner in Dublin Castle, disputes with the young Ussher.[7]
  4. 1787Irish-born Thomas FitzSimmons a delegate to the Federal Convention.[8]
  5. 189080 Fitzsimons births registered in Ireland, chiefly Dublin, Down and Cavan.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. DublinOld family in Dublin (Woulfe); first county named for Fitzsimons births in 1890.[1][3]
Co. WestmeathOld family in Westmeath; the Westmeath FitzSimons assumed the Irish surname Mac an Ridire.[1][2]
Co. DownAmong the three counties where Fitzsimons was principally found in 1890.[3]
Co. CavanAmong the three counties where Fitzsimons was principally found in 1890.[3]

Notable people named Fitzsimons

Walter FitzSimonsd. 1511Archbishop of Dublin, consecrated 1484; died at Finglas and buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral.[6]
Henry FitzSimonc. 1569–1643Born in Dublin; became a Jesuit on the Continent; author of several controversial works.[7]
Thomas FitzSimmons1741–1811Born in Ireland; Philadelphia merchant; delegate to the 1787 Federal Convention; member of Congress 1789–95.[8]

Other spellings

FitzSimons · Fitzsimon · Fitzsimmons · M'Simon · Simons[2][5]

The Fitzsimons coat of arms

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

Fitzsimons surname: questions

Is Fitzsimons an Irish name?

It is an Irish surname of English origin. Woulfe calls the Fitzsimons 'an old and respectable family of English origin in Dublin and Westmeath', and Matheson lists Fitzsimons among names traceable to an Anglo-Norman source.[1][4]

What does Fitzsimons mean?

Woulfe gives the Irish form Mac Síomóin, 'son of Simon,' or 'son of Sigemund' (a Teutonic personal name), and notes that these two names have been confused.[1]

What is Fitzsimons in Irish?

Mac Síomóin. Woulfe adds that the FitzSimons of Co. Westmeath assumed the Irish surname Mac an Ridire, 'son of the knight'.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Fitzsimons name found?

Woulfe places the old family in Dublin and Westmeath. In 1890 Fitzsimons births were principally in Dublin, Down and Cavan.[1][3]

Sources

  1. Mac Síomóin, Mac Síomoinn — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macs/mac-siomoin-mac-siomoinn.php
  2. Mac an Ridire — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/maca/mac-an-ridire.php
  3. Fitzsimons — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/fitzsimons.php
  4. Anglo-Norman Names — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/anglo-norman-names.php
  5. FitzSimons (list no. 623) — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/623.php
  6. Archbishop Walter FitzSimons — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ArchbishopWalterFitzSimons.php
  7. Henry FitzSimon — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/HenryFitzSimon.php
  8. Thomas FitzSimmons — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ThomasFitzSimmons.php

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