FitzGerald dynasty

FitzGerald
Information
Place of origin	Wales
Connected families	De Barry family, Butler family, MacCarthy family

The surname FitzGerald is a translation of the Norman fils de Gérald, or son of Gerald (Gerald meaning "rule of the spear"). Variant spellings include Fitz-Gerald and the modern Fitzgerald. The name can also be used as two separate words Fitz Gerald

Peers of Ireland

Arms of the Dukes of Leinster, c. 1790

Among the most celebrated families of Ireland and Great Britain, the FitzGeralds are a Hiberno-Norman or Cambro-Norman dynasty, and have been Peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century. The main branches of the family are the FitzGeralds of Kildare (Earls of Kildare, later Marquesses of Kildare and now Dukes of Leinster and Premier Peers of Ireland) and the FitzGeralds of Desmond (Barons Desmond, later Earls of Desmond); see the articles on those titles for lists of people who have held them. The dynasty is also sometimes referred to as the Geraldines, and the name Geraldine can be a derivation of this adjective. Elizabeth FitzGerald (1527-89) was known as the "Fair Geraldine" from her surname. The most famous members of the dynasty include:

• Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly (c.1150- 1204)
• Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly (1194- 1257), Justiciar of Ireland
• Maurice FitzGerald, 3rd Lord of Offaly (1238- 1286), Justiciar of Ireland
• Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond, "Gearóid Iarla" (14th century)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare, the "Wizard Earl" (1525-1585)
• Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Desmond, rebel killed at Glenageenty 1583
• James FitzMaurice FitzGerald, rebel killed in 1579-leader of the Desmond Rebellions (late 16th century)
• Edmund FitzGibbon, the White Knight (1552?-1608).
• Katherine FitzGerald, Countess of Desmond, known as the "old Countess of Desmond" (15th to 17th centuries).
• Katherine FitzGerald, Viscountess Grandison (1660- 1725)
• Lord Edward FitzGerald (1763–1798), Irish aristocrat and revolutionary.
• Lady Edward FitzGerald, known as "Pamela" (c. 1773–1831), wife of Lord Edward FitzGerald.
• Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan, the 1st of the name
• Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond, so-called "ruler of Munster"
• James FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond (restored)

Origins

This section requires expansion.

It has long been suggested that the FitzGeralds descend from the ancient Gherardini family of Florence, Italy, but this is based on the vague similarity of the surnames and on no other evidence besides legends first recorded centuries after their arrival in Ireland. It appears more likely that the earliest recorded patrilineal ancestor of the FitzGeralds, Otho or Other, was a Saxon baron,^[1] whose son Walter fitz Otho is recorded in the Domesday Book holding lands in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, and Middlesex.^[2] The family appear to have been quickly assimilated by the invading Normans.

Regardless, the FitzGerald dynasty have their origins in Wales, in the marriages of Walter fitz Otho to Gwladys ferch Ryall, and his son Gerald de Windsor to the Princess Nest ferch Rhys of Deheubarth Thus three out of four of the grandparents of Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan were Welsh people of the highest social rank, and so it is here that the actual dynasty begins and why it is most accurately described as having Welsh origins. Related to these earliest FitzGeralds were the De Barry family and Gerald of Wales, a grandson of Gerald de Windsor. A cousin, Raymond Fitzgerald, became the ancestor of the Grace family.

References

Notable FitzGeralds

Those with the surname (except for those holding peerages, for which see above) include:

• Alexis FitzGerald, Snr (1916-1985), Irish politician
• Alexis FitzGerald, Jnr (born 1945), Irish politician
• Barry Fitzgerald (1888–1961), Irish actor
• Brendan Fitzgerald, Australian, 16 year-old victim of Bali Bombing
• Brian Fitzgerald (disambiguation)
• Charles Fitzgerald (1791–1887), Governor of Gambia; Governor of Western Australia
• Ciaran Fitzgerald (born 1952), Irish rugby union player
• Dai Fitzgerald (1872-1951), Welsh international rugby player
• Desmond FitzGerald (1888-1947), Irish revolutionary, poet and politician
• Desmond FitzGerald, Knight of Glin, president of the Irish Georgian Society
• Edward FitzGerald (disambiguation)
• Eithne FitzGerald (born 1950), Irish politician
• Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996), U.S. jazz singer
• F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940), Irish-American novelist and short story writer
• Frances FitzGerald (born 1940), U.S. Pullitzer prize-winning journalist
• Frances Fitzgerald (born 1950), Irish politician
• Frank Fitzgerald (1885–1939), U.S. governor of Michigan
• Frankie Fitzgerald (born 1985), British actor
• Garret FitzGerald (born 1926), seventh Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland
• Gene Fitzgerald (born 1932), Irish politician
• Gerald Fitzgerald (born 1959), American writer, actor and director
• Geraldine Fitzgerald (1913–2005), Irish-American actress
• George FitzGerald (1851–1901), Irish physicist
• Jack Fitzgerald, founder member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain
• James FitzGerald, (1818 - 1896), New Zealand politician
• Jim Fitzgerald, (born 1926), American businessman and philanthropist
• Joan Fitz-Gerald, American politician
• John Fitzgerald (disambiguation)
• John F. Fitzgerald, Mayor of Boston Massachusetts and grandfather of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy, United States president
• John D. FitzGerald, Irish economist
• Judith Fitzgerald (born 1952), Canadian poet
• Judkin-FitzGerald Baronets (Created 1801), of Lisheen, Co Tipperary, Ireland
• Kevin Fitzgerald, U.S. veterinarian; appeared on the television programme Emergency Vets
• Larry Fitzgerald (born 1983), American football player
• Lawrence J. Fitzgerald, NYS Treasurer 1886-1889
• Lewis Fitz-Gerald (born 1958), Australian actor and television director
• LeMoine Fitzgerald (1890–1956), Canadian artist, a member of the Group of Seven
• Lorna Fitzgerald (born 1996), English actress
• Michael C. FitzGerald (born 1953), art historian and Picasso scholar
• Michael G. Fitzgerald (1950-2006), film historian
• Michael J. Fitzgerald (born 1957), American author
• Michael L. Fitzgerald (born 1937), Roman Catholic archbishop
• Pamela Fitzgerald (born 1984), Irish camogie player.
• Pat Fitzgerald, U.S. football coach
• Patrick Fitzgerald (born 1961), U.S. attorney; special prosecutor in the CIA leak scandal
• Penelope Fitzgerald (1916–2000), British poet, novelist and biographer
• Peter Fitzgerald (born 1960), U.S. Senator for Illinois
• Robert Fitzgerald (disambiguation)
• Ryan Fitzgerald (born 1976), Australian television presenter
• Ryan D. Fitzgerald, 9/11 Victim, World Trade Center.
• Sarah Fitz-Gerald
• Scott Fitzgerald (born 1981), Welsh National Squash Player
• Tara Fitzgerald (born 1967), British actress
• Thomas Fitzgerald (disambiguation)
• Thomas Fitzgerald (composer), Australian composer, musical director, conductor and musician
• William Fitzgerald (disambiguation)
• Zelda Fitzgerald (1900–1948), wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald

See also

• FitzMartin
• FitzPatrick

This page or section lists people with the surname FitzGerald dynasty. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.