Surname Fitz-Hugh - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'F'
Fitz-Hugh: What does the surname Fitz-Hugh mean?
The surname Fitz-Hugh is of Norman origin and came into use in the British Isles after the Norman Conquest. The prefix "Fitz-" comes from the Old Norman French word "fils," meaning "son of," and it was used as a patronymic attachment to first names. The second part, "Hugh," is a personal name of Germanic origin which means "heart, mind, spirit." Therefore, Fitz-Hugh can be interpreted as "son of Hugh." The surname reflects the medieval practice of referring individuals based on their immediate or important relatives. Notable people with this surname include pre-19th century British Peerage family, such as Baron FitzHugh, who gave rise to several generations named as such. This surname also appeared in American historical records, denoting members of notable political or military families.
Order DNA origin analysisFitz-Hugh: Where does the name Fitz-Hugh come from?
The surname Fitz-Hugh is of Anglo-Norman origin, introduced into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a patronymic form of the Old Norman personal name "Hughe", derived from the Old Germanic "Hugo". The prefix "Fitz-" means "son of", thus Fitz-Hugh can be interpreted as "son of Hugh".
The use of "Fitz-" was especially common among the Hiberno-Normans, a group that invaded Ireland in the 12th century, and later spread to Scotland and Wales. Therefore, although the name is English in origin, it gained significant use in Ireland.
Today, the surname is not very common and can be found in small concentrations in the UK, the United States, Canada, and Australia. It's noteworthy to mention that many early British settlers in America carried the surname Fitz-Hugh, particularly in Virginia, and may have started established lineages in the area.
Variations of the surname Fitz-Hugh
The surname Fitz-Hugh originates from one of the famous Anglo-Norman families, who came to England with William the Conqueror in the year 1066. It's a French patronymic surname meaning "son of Hugh".
As a variant, FitzHugh may be spelled without the hyphen. Additional variations may include Fitzhugh, Fitzugh, Fitz Hughs or Fitz-Hughe. It's also possible that some variants dropped the "Fitz" prefix altogether and became just Hugh or Hughes.
In some cases, Fitz-Hugh could also be a given name that converted into a surname in later generations through matrilineal or patrilineal lines of descent. So, variations of the nickname for Hugh, such as Huey, Huie, or Hughe, could also be potential variants of this surname.
As for surnames of the same origin, connected names would be other "Fitz-" surnames, like Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Fitzwilliam, etc., which also denote the "son of" relationship in their meaning. Other Norman surnames that came to England around the same time such as Howard, Beaumont, and Warwick, might also be considered of similar origin.
Famous people with the name Fitz-Hugh
- Edith Bolling Wilson: Née Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, was the second wife of American President Woodrow Wilson and is considered by some to have been a de facto female president of the United States during his second term following his stroke. Her maiden name was Bolling and her first husband was Norman Galt. She was also a descendent of the Fitzhugh family, making her one of the famous people associated with the Fitz-Hugh last name.
- Fitzhugh Lee: Lee was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, the 40th Governor of Virginia, an American diplomat, and a United States Army general in the Spanish-American War.
- E.B.L. (Berkeley) Fitzhugh: A well-known ecologist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington.
- George Fitzhugh: A notable social theorist who published racial and slavery-based sociological theories in the mid-19th century. He argued that "the negro is but a grown up child" who needs the economic and social protections of slavery. Since Fitzhugh isn’t hyphenated with another name (e.g., Fitz-Hugh), I’ve included those with the Fitzhugh surname.