Fitzgerald is a surname of Irish origin, derived from the Norman given name FitzGerald. This name means "son of Gerald," with Fitz being an abbreviation of the Norman French word fils, meaning son. The Fitzgeralds were a prominent family in Ireland during the Middle Ages, and many notable individuals have borne this surname throughout history.
The most famous Fitzgerald was perhaps F. Scott Fitzgerald, the American novelist known for his works set in the Roaring Twenties, including "The Great Gatsby" and "This Side of Paradise." Born into a wealthy family, Fitzgerald struggled with alcoholism and financial difficulties later in life, despite his early success as a writer.
Other notable figures with the surname Fitzgerald include Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond, who led an uprising against Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century; Timothy Fitzgerald, an Irish politician and former leader of the Labour Party; and Michael Fitzgerald, an American basketball player who won two NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls.
In literature, Fitzgerald has also been used as a character name, most notably by Mark Twain in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," where Tom's half-brother is named Sid (short for Sidney) Fitzgerald. Today, Fitzgerald remains a popular surname and given name choice among families of Irish descent or those drawn to its historical significance.
The name Fitzgerald has seen a varied trend in popularity over the years in the United States. The name first appeared on record in 1919 with five births that year. It experienced another small peak in the early 1960s, with 52 births recorded in 1963 and 125 in 1964. After this peak, the popularity of Fitzgerald declined significantly until the late 1970s when it started to see a gradual increase.
From 1984 onwards, there was a consistent rise in the number of births with the name Fitzgerald. In 1984, there were 23 births, and this figure continued to grow steadily over the following years. The name reached its peak popularity in recent times in 2017 and 2018, with 102 and 93 births respectively.
As of 2023, Fitzgerald has a total of 1822 births recorded in the United States since 1919. Despite fluctuations in popularity over time, it is clear that Fitzgerald remains a distinctive and recognizable name.