Fitzstephen is an

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

. It is

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...

as the prefix ''

Fitz Fitz (pronounced "fits") was a patronymic indicator used in Anglo-Norman England to help distinguish individuals by identifying their immediate predecessors. Meaning "son of", it would precede the father's forename, or less commonly a title held b ...

-'' derives from the Old French ''filz'' (Modern French ''fils de''), itself from

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''filius'', meaning "son of". Its variants include ''FitzStephen'', ''Fitz Stephen'', ''Fitz-Stephen''; alternate spelling ''Fitzstephens'' (common name in 16th century Ireland); and the given name turned surname ''

Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

''. Fitzstephen is rare as a given name. People with the name Fitzstephen include: *

James Lynch fitz Stephen James Lynch fitz Stephen was mayor of Galway for the civic year 1493–1494. He is believed to have been the father of Stephen Lynch fitz James, mayor 1509–10, 1516–17 and 1523. James Lynch funded a window in St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church. ...

John Óge Lynch fitz Stephen John Óge Lynch fitz Stephen, Mayor of Galway 1552-53. Information Lynch was elected mayor in August 1552 and sworn into office in September. He passed into town law a statute ordering that no person could approach any child or apprentice with a ...

Ralph fitzStephen Ralph fitzStephen (sometimes Ralf fitzStephen;Richardson and Sayles ''Governance of Mediaeval England'' p. 231 and footnote 5 died either 25 July 1202 or c. 1204) was an English nobleman and royal official. Origins Ralph had brothers named Will ...

Robert FitzStephen Robert FitzStephen (died 1183) was a Cambro-Norman soldier, one of the leaders of the Norman invasion of Ireland, for which he was granted extensive lands in Ireland. He was a son of the famous Nest, daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, the last king of Deh ...

( fl. 1150), Welsh soldier *

Thomas FitzStephen Thomas FitzStephen ( fro, italic=no, Thomas fiz Estienne; died 1120) was captain of the ill-fated ''White Ship'' (french: la Blanche-Nef), which sank off Barfleur, Normandy, on 25 November 1120. Life FitzStephen was the son of Stephen FitzAirard ...

(died 1120), Normandy, illegitimate son of sea captain for William the Conqueror *

William Fitzstephen William Fitzstephen (also William fitz Stephen), (died c. 1191) was a cleric and administrator in the service of Thomas Becket. In the 1170s he wrote a long biography of Thomas Becket – the ''Vita Sancti Thomae'' (Life of St. Thomas). Fitzsteph ...

(died 1191), servant of Thomas a Becket

References

{{surname Patronymic surnames Surnames from given names

See also

References