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Fitzsimmons History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Fitzsimmons History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

Etymology of Fitzsimmons

What does the name Fitzsimmons 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 Fitzsimmons 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 Fitzsimmons is Mac Shiomóin. Variations in the spelling of this surname were extremely common.

Early Origins of the Fitzsimmons family

The surname Fitzsimmons 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 Fitzsimmons family

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

Fitzsimmons Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Fitzsimmons revealed many spelling variations including Fitzsimmons, FitzSimon, FitzSimons, FitzKimmons, FitzKimmins, FitzSymons, Fitzsimmins, Fitzsymmons, Fitzkimmons, Fitzkimmins, Fitzsimon, Fitzsymons and many more.

Early Notables of the Fitzsimmons family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was 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...
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fitzsimmons Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fitzsimmons Ranking

In the United States, the name Fitzsimmons is the 3,901^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Fitzsimmons migration to the United States +

During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Fitzsimmons:

Fitzsimmons Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Fitzsimmons, who settled in Maryland in 1776

Fitzsimmons Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ann Fitzsimmons, who landed in America in 1805 3
Eliza Fitzsimmons, who arrived in America in 1805 3
Peter Fitzsimmons, who landed in America in 1805 3
Rich Fitzsimmons, who arrived in America in 1805 3
William Fitzsimmons, who landed in America in 1805 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fitzsimmons migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fitzsimmons Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Peter Fitzsimmons U.E. born in Newtown, New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 4
Mr. Thomas Fitzsimmons U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the 74th Regiment 4

Fitzsimmons Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Andrew Fitzsimmons, who arrived in Quebec in 1818
D. Fitzsimmons, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
Mr. Hugh Fitzsimmons, aged 32 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Free Trader" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 5
Miss. Catherine Fitzsimmons, aged 3 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Agamemnon" departing 24th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 31st July 1847 but she died on board 6
Miss. Eleanor Fitzsimmons, aged 4 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Tamarac" departing 26th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 11th July 1847 but she died on board 6

Fitzsimmons migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fitzsimmons Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Andrew Fitzsimmons, (Fitzsimons, Fitzsimmonds), (b. 1797), aged 23, Irish servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. John Fitzsimmons, (b. 1801), aged 25, Irish surgeon who was convicted in India for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cawdry" in 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Bernard Fitzsimmons, (b. 1796), aged 42, Irish shop man who was convicted in County Offlay (Kings County), Ireland for 14 years for forgery, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 29th December 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1888 9
Mr. John Fitzsimmons, English convict who was convicted in Knutsford (Nether Knutsford), Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 4th October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Richard Fitzsimmons, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Princess Helena" in 1850 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fitzsimmons 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:

Fitzsimmons Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 12
Miss Ann Fitzsimmons, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 12
Mr. Thomas Fitzsimmons, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 12
Mr. Andrew Fitzsimmons, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 12
Mr. John Fitzsimmons, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fitzsimmons (post 1700) +

Roy Fitzsimmons (1916-1945), American Polar Explorer and Geophysicist, eponym of Mount Fitzsimmons, Antarctica
Thomas William "Tom" Fitzsimmons (1890-1971), American professional baseball player
Greg Fitzsimmons (b. 1966), American stand-up comedian, television writer/producer and radio host
James Edward "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons (1874-1966), American thoroughbred racehorse trainer, inductee into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (1958)
Lowell "Cotton" Fitzsimmons (1931-2004), American college and NBA basketball coach
Frederick Landis "Fat Freddie" Fitzsimmons (1901-1979), American right-handed pitcher, manager and coach
Casey FitzSimmons (b. 1980), retired American National Football League tight end
Frank Edward Fitzsimmons (1907-1981), American labour union president
Brandon Fitzsimmons, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 2000 13
A. P. Fitzsimmons, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Johnson County Democratic Party, 1940 13
... (Another 34 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Fitzsimmons family +

Hillsborough disaster

Vincent Michael Fitzsimmons (1955-1989), English moulding technician who was attending the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough Stadium, in Sheffield, Yorkshire when the stand allocated area became overcrowded and 96 people were crushed in what became known as the Hillsborough disaster and he died from his injuries 14

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Fitzsimmons, British Telegraphist from Devon, England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15

USS Arizona

Mr. Eugene James Fitzsimmons, American Fireman Third Class from Illinois, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 16

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 28)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 76)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 13th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cawdry
Convict Records Australia. Retrieved on 18th March 2022 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-gray
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PANAMA 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850PrincessHelena.gif
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Hillsborough Victims (retreived 21st March 2021). Retreived from https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/15/remembering-96-victims-hillsborough-disaster-30-years-9206566/
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html