Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 6, 2026

Fitzpatrick (surname)

Fitzpatrick is an Irish surname that most commonly arose as an anglicised version of the Irish patronymic surname Mac Giolla Phádraig "Son of the Devotee of (St.) Patrick".

Last revised
Jun 6, 2026
Read time
≈ 6 min
Length
1,425 w
Citations
9
Source
Wikipedia ↗

Fitzpatrick (/fɪtsˈpætrɪk/ ⓘ) is an Irish surname that most commonly arose as an anglicised version of the Irish patronymic surname Mac Giolla Phádraig (Irish: [mˠək ˈɟɪl̪ˠə ˈfˠaːd̪ˠɾˠəɟ])1 "Son of the Devotee of (St.) Patrick".2

In some cases, it may also have independently arisen by a similar anglicization of a likely-distinct Irish patronymic, Ó Maol Phádraig,3 "Descendent of the Follower of (St.) Patrick", or in rare cases as a genuine Anglo-Irish patronymic1 incorporating the Norman French fitz ('son of') and the male name Patrick.4

Giolla Phádraig (meaning "the devotee of [Saint] Patrick", also one of origins of the surname Gilpatrick) was the personal name of Gilla Patráic mac Donnchada, a tenth-century king of Ossory. His sons were subsequently styled Mac Giolla Phádraig (meaning, son of Giolla Phádraig),

In the 16th century, as part of the process of king Henry VIII's surrender and regrant scheme to colonise the Irish nobility, Brian Og Mac Giolla Phadraig / Brian McGilpatrick had to take the surname Fitz-Patrick or Fitzpatrick as part of his submission to the English Crown. According to the Rev. James MacCaffrey, writing in 1914:

"Three years later (1537) MacGillapatrick (Fitzpatrick) of Ossory promised faithfully to abolish the usurped jurisdiction of the Pope, to have the English language spoken in his territories, and to send his son to be brought up with a knowledge of the English language and customs. In return for this he received a royal grant of his land and possessions, was created Baron of Colthill and Castleton, and was promised a seat in the House of Lords, a favour which he obtained in 1543, when he was appointed a peer with the title of Baron of Upper Ossory. 5

The Fitzpatrick surname may have also been adopted later amongst other unrelated Irish families, such as the Maguires of Fermanagh.1 Like the related Kilpatrick and Mulpatrick, the surname was sometimes shortened to Patrick.1

The 1901 census of Ireland indicated the top five counties for the surname Fitzpatrick, by birth, were County Cavan, followed by counties Laois, Dublin, Down and Cork.6

Notable Fitzpatricks

Middle name

See also

See also

Notes

Notes

  1. Kay Muhr, Liam Ó hAisibéil, "Fitzpatrick" in The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland, Oxford University Press, 2021
  2. "Some Irish Surnames and Their Meaning – Kilkenny Archaeological Society". Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  3. "Ó Maolphádraig – Irish Names and Surnames". www.libraryireland.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  4. "Fitzpatrick Surname Meaning & Fitzpatrick Family History at Ancestry.co.uk®". www.ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  5. MacCaffrey, James (1914). "8". HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH From the Renaissance to the French Revolution. Vol. 2.
  6. "1901 Census of Ireland: Summary by Surname Fitzpatrick" (PDF). fitzpatrickclan.org. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
External links