Why is Fitz Called Fitz? The Curious History Behind This Name

If you‘re a fan of fantasy books or TV shows with medieval settings, you‘ve probably encountered your fair share of characters with names starting in "Fitz-". But have you ever wondered why authors bestow this mysterious prefix upon their bastards, princes, and knights errant?

As it turns out, the name "Fitz" has a long and fascinating history intertwined with social status, legitimacy, and identity. Let‘s unravel its origins and evolution together!

Tracing Fitz Back to 1066: Patronyms of the Normans

To understand Fitz, we first need to go back to the tumultuous 11th century and the Norman conquest of England.

In 1066 CE, William the Conqueror seized the English crown from Harold Godwinson after defeating his forces at the Battle of Hastings. This marked the dawn of Norman rule over medieval England.

As French-speaking nobles replaced the old Anglo-Saxon aristocracy, the Normans introduced their culture and language. An influx of Norman names flooded England, like popular favorites such as "William," "Robert," and "Richard."

The Normans also brought the convention of patronymic surnames – those derived from the name of a father or ancestor. For example, Johnson literally meant "John‘s son."

Similarly, they used the prefix "Fitz" derived from the old Norman French "fils", meaning "son of". Fitz became attached to the father‘s name or title to signify parentage.

For instance, the surname Fitzherbert denoted someone was the son of a nobleman named Herbert. While not exactly creative, it got the lineage message across!

From Royal Bastard to Generic Insult: The Fall of Fitz

During the 12th century, Fitz began to take on negative connotations as a label for illegitimate children.

King Henry I had multiple mistresses and fathered over 20 illegitimate offspring. His illegitimate son with nestress Lady Nesta was named "FitzRoy" – Norman French for "son of the king."

This association with royal bastards stuck for centuries. King Charles II later coined "Fitzroy" as the family name for his own illegitimate brood in the 1600s.

Over time, Fitz became shorthand for denoting any illegitimate child, losing its precise meaning as a patronym. The prefix became pejorative, essentially becoming Old English for "bastard."

While first used for royalty, Fitz as an insult disseminated through society as a marker of commoner children born out of wedlock. Parents thus avoided bestowing it upon legitimate offspring.

How the Anglo-Norman Nobles Brought Fitz to Ireland

Across the Irish Sea, Fitz surnames also took root among the Hiberno-Norman nobles who invaded Ireland.

After gaining a foothold in 1169 CE, these Anglo-Norman lords lived in Ireland for centuries. They consolidated their power by intermarrying with Gaelic Irish elites.

As part of this cultural exchange, Fitz names like FitzGerald and FitzMaurice entered the Irish lexicon. The prefix announced their prestigious Norman lineage.

Over generations, these surnames also appeared among native Irish families seeking to align themselves with their foreign overlords. Or in some cases, they resulted from illicit intermingling!

By the late medieval period, Fitz had thoroughly disseminated into Irish naming practices. Irish Fitz surnames remaining common today reflect this complex colonial legacy.

FitzChivalry Farseer: Understanding Robin Hobb‘s Fantasy Bastard

Fantasy authors like Robin Hobb continue the tradition of bestowing Fitz names upon their fictional bastards and royalty.

Hobb‘s Farseer Trilogy follows the life of FitzChivalry Farseer, an illegitimate prince in the fictional Six Duchies kingdom. As the unacknowledged son of Prince Chivalry, his very name marks his inferior status.

"I heard my name cried out in tones of anger and contempt…A bastard was not always absolved by a father‘s last-minute admission." (Assassin‘s Apprentice)

Throughout the novels, Fitz struggles with loneliness, isolation, and a lack of identity. His quest for belonging and validation drives the narrative.

Hobb‘s nuanced exploration of Fitz‘s childhood and coming-of-age reinforce why she chose this historically loaded name to encapsulate his outsider status.

The resonance of the name "FitzChivalry" for readers familiar with its real-world origins illustrates how writers rely on historical naming conventions to signal legitimacy, social station, and character backgrounds.

Fitz in Pop Culture: From ASOIAF to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

Beyond Robin Hobb‘s work, "Fitz" enjoys popularity in sci-fi and fantasy due to its archaic medieval flair.

On Game of Thrones, King Robert Baratheon bestows the surname "Fitz" on his illegitimate son Edric Storm. "Fitz" immediately conveys his status as a royal bastard.

Meanwhile, Leopold Fitz is the lovable scientist on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. While primarily used to convey his genius intellect, his first name "Fitz" also subtly alludes to the character‘s history of social isolation.

Through characters like FitzChivalry and Leo Fitz, this timeworn prefix lives on in the cultural imagination, retaining echoes of its centuries-old meaning.

From Patronyms to Pejoratives: What Names Reveal About History‘s Values

The ever-shifting connotations of "Fitz" provide a fascinating window into changing societal preoccupations over centuries.

Originally a mere patronymic with no value judgement, it became freighted with stigma as illegitimacy and succession conflicts plagued medieval monarchies. Legal rights still flowed from marital status and parentage.

Its persistence in fantasy underscores our fascination with these same themes of legitimacy, inclusion, and identity. Such associations accumulate in layers on names despite their antiquated origins fading over time.

In that sense, "Fitz" and other patronymic conventions reveal as much about our past and present values as about etymology!

So next time you meet a Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, or Fitzwilliam, you can impress them with the surprising history encapsulated in their last name.

After all, there‘s more to Fitz than meets the eye!