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Fitzgerald Family History

Fitzgerald Name Meaning

Irish: from Anglo-Norman French fi(t)z ‘son’ (see Fitz ) + the personal name Gerald (see Gerald ) ‘son of Gerald’. This is a very common Anglo-Norman name in Ireland where it has been Gaelicized as Mac Gearailt. Irish bearers of the name claim descent from Gerald Fitzwalter de Windsor constable of Pembroke Castle in the early 12th century whose grandson Raymond (or Redmond) ‘le Gros’ FitzGerald (died after 1185) led the invasion of Ireland on behalf of Strongbow in 1170. A branch of the family held the title Knight of Glin from at least 1299–201

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names of Ireland, 2021


Similar surnames: Fitzner, Figura, Gerald, Ritzler, Hegewald, Litteral, Ritzel, Pitera

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Where is the Fitzgerald family from?

You can see how Fitzgerald families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fitzgerald family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Fitzgerald families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 80 Fitzgerald families living in New York. This was about 21% of all the recorded Fitzgerald's in USA. New York had the highest population of Fitzgerald families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fitzgerald surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Fitzgerald ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Fitzgerald. 13% of Fitzgerald men worked as a Laborer and 8% of Fitzgerald women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fitzgerald were Clerk and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Fitzgerald | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    13%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Teacher
    8%
  • Clerk
    6%
  • Housewife
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Fitzgerald family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 617,000 census records available for the last name Fitzgerald. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fitzgerald census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 131,000 immigration records available for the last name Fitzgerald. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 111,000 military records available for the last name Fitzgerald. For the veterans among your Fitzgerald ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Fitzgerald lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Fitzgerald life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Fitzgerald in 1940 was 29, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fitzgerald

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