UK boy's name
Fitzgerald
Son of the descendant from the redbearded man in Gaelic.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Fitzgerald is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Fitzgerald popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4608, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2013, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2013 to 2020. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Fitzgerald. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Fitzgerald ranked #4608 for boys in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2013, when 4 boys were registered as Fitzgerald.
- • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Fitzgerald as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4608
2020
Births in 2020
3
Latest year
Peak year
2013
4 births
Estimated living
7
2026
Meaning
What does Fitzgerald mean?
The given name Fitzgerald originates from the medieval Anglo-Norman French language, which was spoken by the Norman aristocracy after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The name is a compound of two elements: "fils" meaning "son" and "gerald" meaning "ruler with a spear."
The name Fitzgerald is closely associated with the Hiberno-Norman dynasty of the same name, one of the most powerful Anglo-Norman families in medieval Ireland. The first recorded use of the name dates back to the late 12th century, when Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Maynooth and Naas, established the dynasty.
In the 13th century, Maurice FitzGerald's grandson, Gerald FitzMaurice, played a significant role in the Norman conquest of Ireland. He was known as "Gerald the Great" and was the progenitor of several notable families, including the Earls of Kildare and the Earls of Desmond.
One of the most famous historical figures with the name Fitzgerald was the English Renaissance writer and courtier, Sir Thomas Fitzgerald (c. 1513 - 1537). He was a close friend of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and is known for his role in introducing the sonnet form to English literature.
Another notable Fitzgerald was George Fitzgerald (1612 - 1665), an Irish military leader and statesman who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was later appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland and played a crucial role in the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
During the 18th century, the name Fitzgerald gained literary prominence with the Irish writer and poet Oliver Goldsmith (1728 - 1774), whose full name was Oliver Goldsmith Esquire. Although Goldsmith is not directly associated with the name Fitzgerald, his middle name was a nod to the influential Fitzgerald family.
In the 19th century, one of the most celebrated figures with the name Fitzgerald was Edward Fitzgerald (1809 - 1883), an English writer and poet best known for his translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which brought the Persian poet's work to the attention of the English-speaking world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Fitzgerald over time
The chart below shows babies named Fitzgerald registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2013 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Fitzgerald, the clearest high point is 2013. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2020, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fitzgerald by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Fitzgerald was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4608 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #3822 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Fitzgerald
- Freddie 46,945
- Finley 42,410
- Frederick 19,866
- Finlay 17,879
- Frankie 17,528
- Finn 14,413
- Felix 14,361
- Fraser 6,470
- Flynn 6,170
- Frank 5,992
- Filip 5,876
- Francis 5,744
FAQ
Fitzgerald: questions and answers
How popular is the name Fitzgerald in the UK right now?
In 2020, Fitzgerald was ranked #4608 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Fitzgerald most popular?
The peak year on record was 2013, with 4 babies registered as Fitzgerald in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Fitzgerald?
Son of the descendant from the redbearded man in Gaelic.
How many people are called Fitzgerald in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Fitzgerald across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.