Fitzpatrick - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Mac Giolla Phádraig
Meaning: “son of the devotee of St Patrick”
Traditional stronghold: Kilkenny, Laois
Pronunciation: fits-PAT-rik; Irish Mac Giolla Phadraig: mahk GIL-uh FAH-drig
History of the Fitzpatrick name
Fitzpatrick is a rare case of a Norman-style 'Fitz' name of purely Gaelic origin: it translates Mac Giolla Phadraig, 'son of the servant of Patrick', the surname of the kings of Ossory in what is now Laois and Kilkenny. The family ruled this small kingdom into the later medieval period and, unusually, adopted the Anglo-Norman-sounding Fitzpatrick form themselves in the 16th century as a matter of prestige and political accommodation with the crown, rather than having it imposed from outside. This makes the name a striking example of a Gaelic dynasty rebranding in Norman-French style while retaining native descent. The surname remains strongly linked with Laois, Kilkenny and Ossory and is common throughout Ireland today.
Variants: MacGilpatrick · Kilpatrick · Fitzpatric
Famous bearers of the name
- Jim Fitzpatrick - Irish artist, creator of the iconic Che Guevara portrait
- Betty Fitzpatrick - Irish hotelier, co-founder of the Fitzpatrick Hotel Group
- Marika Fitzpatrick - modern Irish television personality
- John Bernard Fitzpatrick - American Catholic bishop of Irish descent
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Walsh · Moore · Dunne · Brennan · Tobin · Purcell · Dowling · Dempsey