Fitzgibbon, FitzGibbon, Fitz-Gibbon and Fitzgibbons are Irish surnames of

Hiberno-Norman From the 12th century onwards, a group of Normans invaded and settled in Gaelic Ireland. These settlers later became known as Norman Irish or Hiberno-Normans. They originated mainly among Cambro-Norman families in Wales and Anglo-Normans from ...

origin. The surname originates with Gilbert (Gibbon) FitzJohn, who was an illegitimate son of

John FitzThomas, 1st Baron Desmond John FitzThomas, 1st Baron Desmond (died 1261) was the son of Thomas Fitzmaurice, Lord OConnello by his wife Ellinor, daughter of Jordan de Marisco, and sister of Geoffrey de Marisco, who was appointed justiciar of Ireland in 1215.Cokayne, ...

(died 1261); the line of Anglo-Norman aristocracy in Ireland descended from Gilbert became known as Fitzgibbon. Fitzgibbon means "son of Gibbon", derived from

Norman French Norman or Norman French (, french: Normand, Guernésiais: , Jèrriais: ) is a Romance language which can be classified as one of the Oïl languages along with French, Picard and Walloon. The name "Norman French" is sometimes used to descri ...

''fiz''/''fitz'' (meaning "son") and ''Gibbon'' (a Norman French affectionate form of the name

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters * Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South ...

). The Gaelicised form of Fitzgibbon is ''Mac Giobúin''.

Overview

The Fitzgibbon families of the present day are to be found concentrated in the parts of the Ireland in which they originated. The most numerous are those of

Co. Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

: the MacGibbon Burke, being a branch of the Hiberno-Irish sept of

Burke Burke is an Anglo-Norman Irish surname, deriving from the ancient Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh. In Ireland, the descendants of William de Burgh (–1206) had the surname ''de Burgh'' which was gaelicised ...

in Co. Mayo. Ballymacgibbon in Co. Mayo takes its name from them. They were Gaelicised more completely than other Norman invaders, intermarrying with native Irish and becoming

more Irish than the Irish themselves "More Irish than the Irish themselves" ( ga, Níos Gaelaí ná na Gaeil féin, la, Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis) is a phrase used in Irish historiography to describe a phenomenon of cultural assimilation in late medieval Norman Ireland. History ...

. The others are equally associated with a particular county, in this case

Co. Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision ...

. The head of this family in Co. Limerick was known as the

White Knight A white knight is a mythological figure and literary stock character. They are portrayed alongside a black knight as diametric opposites. A white knight usually represents a heroic warrior fighting against evil, with the role in medieval literatu ...

, being one of the three hereditary knights in Desmond (unique among British and Irish titles), the other two being the Green Knight and the Black Knight, who are FitzGeralds. Their territory prior to the upheaval of the 17th century was the south-eastern corner of Co. Limerick near

Co. Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

. The best known of the Fitzgibbons was John 'Black Jack' Fitzgibbon (1749–1802), Lord Chancellor of Ireland, whose pro-English and anti-Catholic activity at the time of the Acts of Union made him hated in his own day and his memory reviled since.

Notable people

Notable people with the name include: *

Abraham Fitzgibbon Abraham 'Abram' Fitzgibbon (23 January 1823 – 4 April 1887) was an Irish-born railroad engineer and a pioneer for narrow-gauge railways. Career In the early 1860s, Fitzgibbon was working at Dun Mountain Railway in Nelson, New Zealand, a hor ...

(1823–1887), Irish-born railroad engineer *

Agnes Dunbar Moodie Fitzgibbon Agnes Dunbar Fitzgibbon Chamberlin ( Moodie; 1833–1913) was a Canadian artist living in Ontario. Biography She was born Agnes Dunbar Moodie on a farm near Cobourg, Ontario. Her parents were John and Susanna Moodie. Around five years later, the ...

(1833–1913), Canadian artist *

Allan Fitzgibbon Allan Fitzgibbon is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the Balmain Tigers between 1968 and 1970, and appeared in the 1969 Grand Final where the Tigers won in an upset against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and f ...

(born before 1968), Australian rugby league footballer *

Andrew Fitzgibbon Andrew Fitzgibbon VC (13 May 1845 – 7 March 1883) was a British soldier, and possibly the youngest recipient of the Victoria Cross. Details Fitzgibbon was born in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India. He was fifteen years old, and a Hospital App ...

(1845–1883), Irish soldier who may have been the youngest recipient of the Victoria Cross * Andrew Fitzgibbon (Engineer) (born 1968), Irish computer vision researcher *

Bernice Fitz-Gibbon Bernice Bowles "Fitz" Fitz-Gibbon (September 6, 1894 – February 22, 1982) was an American advertising executive and a pioneer in retail advertising, working at Marshall Field's, Macy's, Gimbels and Wanamaker's. She was inducted into the Adver ...

(1894–1982), American advertising executive *

Carol Fitz-Gibbon Carol Taylor Fitz-Gibbon (1938 – 2017) was a British educational researcher and analyst. Fitz-Gibbon wrote several books on evaluation, educational data and quantifying attainment. She served as the Director of the Centre for Evaluation & Monit ...

(1938–2017), British educational researcher and analyst *

Coleen Fitzgibbon Coleen Fitzgibbon (born 1950) is an American experimental film artist associated with Collaborative Projects, Inc. (a.k.a. Colab). She worked under the pseudonym Colen Fitzgibbon between the years 1973-1980. Fitzgibbon currently resides on Ludlow ...

(born 1950), American experimental film artist * Constantine Fitzgibbon (1919–1983), American-born historian, translator and novelist * Craig Fitzgibbon (born 1977), Australian rugby league footballer * Daniel Fitzgibbon, (born 1976), Australian Paralympic sailor who competed in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Paralympics * Darragh Fitzgibbon (born 1997), Irish hurler *

Desmond Fitzgibbon Flight Lieutenant Desmond Fitzgerald Fitzgibbon (born 1 November 1890; date of death unknown) was a British flying ace who served in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I, and was credited with eight aerial victories. He returned to se ...

(1890 – after 1945), British flying ace in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I *

Edmund FitzGibbon Edmund Fitzgibbon, 11th White Knight (c. 1552 – 23 April 1608), was an Irish nobleman of the FitzGerald dynasty, who held a Hiberno-Norman hereditary knighthood. His loyalty to Elizabeth I resulted in the capture of his kinsman, the self-decl ...

(–1608), Irish nobleman *

Edmund Fitzgibbon (bishop) Edmund Joseph Fitzgibbon (15 March 1925 – 17 April 2010) was the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Warri in Nigeria. Early life and education Edmund Fitzgibbon was born in Ballylegan, County Cork, Ireland. He was ordained a priest on 9 April ...

(1925–2010), Irish-born Roman Catholic bishop in Nigeria *

Edmond Gerald FitzGibbon Edmund Gerald FitzGibbon (1 November 1825 – 12 December 1905) was a barrister and Town clerk of Melbourne.Bernard Barrett,FitzGibbon, Edmund Gerald (1825 - 1905), ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Vol. 4, MUP, 1972, pp 181-182. FitzGibbo ...

(1825–1905), Irish-born Australian barrister and town clerk *

Edward Fitzgibbon Edward Fitzgibbon (1803–1857), was an Irish writer, using the pseudonym ''Ephemera''. Life The son of a land agent, Fitzgibbon was born at Limerick in 1803. He was devotedly attached to fishing from boyhood. He came to London when he was 14 ...

(1803–1857), Irish writer who used the pseudonym ''Ephemera'' * Edward E. Fitzgibbon (1847–1909), American farmer, teacher, and politician *

Eric Fitzgibbon Eric John Fitzgibbon (27 August 1936 – 24 January 2015) was an Australian politician representing the Australian Labor Party. Born in Taree, New South Wales, he attended the University of New England and became a teacher. He served on Cessn ...

(1936–2015), Australian politician * Fred Fitzgibbon (1917–1999), Australian rules footballer * Gerald Fitzgibbon (disambiguation), multiple people *

Hanorah Philomena FitzGibbon Hanorah Philomena FitzGibbon Member of the Order of the British Empire, MBE (Nora, 19 March 1889–7 May 1979) was a New Zealand civilian and military nurse, hospital matron and nursing administrator. Early life FitzGibbon was born in Arrow ...

(1889–1979), New Zealand civilian and military nurse and nursing administrator *

Herb Fitzgibbon Herbert Fitzgibbon (born July 14, 1942) is a former tennis player who was nationally ranked in the 1960s and 1970s. Fitzgibbon played four years of high school tennis for Garden City High School and never lost a match. He played collegiate tenn ...

(born 1942), U.S. tennis player *

Ian Fitzgibbon Ian Fitzgibbon (born 1962 in Dublin) is an Irish film and television actor/director. He is perhaps best known for directing ''Spin the Bottle'', ''A Film with Me in It'' and the Comedy Central UK show Threesome, and for the role of Fr. Jessup in ...

(born 1962), Irish film and television actor/director *

James FitzGibbon James FitzGibbon (16 November 1780 – 10 December 1863) was a British soldier in the War of 1812. Early life and career Born to Garrett (Gerald) FitzGibbon and Mary Widenham in Glin, County Limerick, Ireland, he enlisted in the Knight of G ...

(1780–1863), British soldier and hero of the War of 1812 * Joe Fitzgibbon (active from 2012), U.S. politician in the state of Washington *

Joel Fitzgibbon Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon (born 16 January 1962) is a retired Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served in the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2022, representing the New South Wales seat of Hunt ...

(born 1962), Australian politician *

John Fitzgibbon (disambiguation) John Fitzgibbon or FitzGibbon may refer to: * John FitzGibbon (Irish lawyer) (c.1708–1780), Irish lawyer and politician *John FitzGibbon, 1st Earl of Clare (1748–1802), Attorney-General and Lord Chancellor of Ireland *John FitzGibbon, 2nd Earl ...

, multiple people *

John Fitzgibbons John Fitzgibbons (July 10, 1868 in Glenmore, Oneida County, New York – August 4, 1941 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York) was an American politician from New York. He served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1933 to 1935. Li ...

(1868–1941), American politician * John Bowler Fitzgibbons (born before 1995), American entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist * Joseph Fitzgibbon (1881–1960), Newfoundland politician *

Lachlan Fitzgibbon Lachlan Fitzgibbon (born 5 January 1994) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as forward for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. Background Fitzgibbon was born in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and moved to ...

(born 1994), Australian rugby league footballer *

Maggie Fitzgibbon Margaret Helen Fitzgibbon (30 January 1929 – 8 June 2020) was an Australian actress and singer. Coming from a show-business family, she was the older sister of musician Smacka Fitzgibbon. Biography Fitzgibbon was born in Melbourne. She began ...

(1929–2020), Australian actress and singer *

Sister Mary Irene FitzGibbon Sister Irene (born Catherine Rosamund Fitzgibbon; May 12, 1823 – August 14, 1896) was an American nun who founded New York Foundling, the New York Foundling Hospital in 1869, at a time when abandoned infants were routinely sent to almshouses w ...

(1823–1896), English-born nun who founded the New York Foundling Hospital * Nick FitzGibbon (born 1987), Canadian football player * Nora FitzGibbon (1889–1979), New Zealand nurse *

Patricia Fitzgibbon Patricia Fitzgibbon is a former camogie Camogie ( ; ga, camógaíocht ) is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and worldwide, largely among Irish communities. A variant of the ...

(born before 1984), Irish camogie player * Paul Fitzgibbon (1903–1975), American football player *

Peter Fitzgibbon Peter Fitzgibbon is an Irish international rugby union referee. He has been on the IRB Elite panel (the highest level in the world) since 2009. He works full-time for the Irish Rugby Football Union as referee development officer in the Leisure ...

(born 1975), Irish international rugby union referee * Pierre Fitzgibbon, Canadian politician, member of the National Assembly of Quebec (from 2018) *

Richard B. Fitzgibbon, Jr. Technical Sergeant Richard Bernard Fitzgibbon Jr., USAF (June 21, 1920 – June 8, 1956) was the first American to die in the Vietnam War. He was murdered by another American airman on June 8, 1956. Through the efforts of his sister Alice Fitzgib ...

(1920–1956), U.S. murder victim in Vietnam *

Rosanne Fitzgibbon Rosanne (Rosie) Fitzgibbon (1947–2012) was a literary editor in Australia. She worked for forty years in the publishing of fiction and non-fiction, including as fiction editor at the University of Queensland Press from 1989 to 2005. She work ...

(1947–2012), Australian literary editor *

Sally Fitzgibbons Sally Jayne Fitzgibbons (born 19 December 1990) is an Australian professional surfer on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour (2009–2013). In June 2019, she was ranked No. 1 in the world for women's surfing after winning the R ...

(born 1990), Australian professional surfer *

Sandie Fitzgibbon Sandie Fitzgibbon (born 1964 in Cork) is a former camogie player selected on the camogie team of the century in 2004, and winner of six All Ireland medals in 1982, 1983, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1997. She played for Glen Rovers Club with whom she ...

(born before 1982), Irish camogie player *

Shaun Fitzgibbon Shaun Matthew Fitzgibbon (born 24 September 1986) is a New Zealand cricketer. He played Hawke Cup cricket for Southland between the 2004–05 and 2022–23 seasons, captaining the side towards the end of his representative career.

(born 1986), New Zealand cricketer *

Smacka Fitzgibbon Graham Francis "Smacka" Fitzgibbon (12 February 1930 – 15 December 1979) was an Australian banjoist and vocalist in the trad jazz idiom. He was a publican in country Victoria and restaurateur in Melbourne. Biography Early life Fitzgerald was bo ...

(1930–1979), Australian entertainer *

Theodora FitzGibbon Theodora FitzGibbon (née Rosling; later Morrison; 21 October 1916 – 25 March 1991) was an Irish cookery writer, model and actress. Early life FitzGibbon was born Theodora Rosling on 21 October 1916 in London to John Archibald Rosling and Ali ...

(1916–1991), Irish cookery writer, model and actress *

Thomas Fitzgibbon Moore Thomas Fitzgibbon Moore was a constable and politician in Newfoundland. He represented Trinity Bay in the Newfoundland House of Assembly. Moore arrived in the New Harbour area on Trinity Bay from Ireland or France in the early 1800s. Apparentl ...

(active 1800s – after 1837}, Newfoundland constable and politician * William Fitzgibbon (active 1890s – 1900s), Irish hurler

References

{{surname Surnames of Irish origin

Overview

Notable people

See also

References