Fitzwilliam
Fitzwilliam (or FitzWilliam), lit. "Son of William", is derived from the Anglo-Norman prefix Fitz (pronounced "fits") often used in patronymic surnames of Anglo-Norman origin; that is to say originating in the 11th century (the word is a Norman French noun literally meaning "Son of", from the Latin filius (for 'son'), plus genitive case of the father's forename); and from William, lit. "Willpower/Desire Protector", which is a popular given name of old Germanic origin, becoming very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era). While more popular as a surname, it does have some popularity as a given name.
"Fitzwilliam"/"FitzWilliam" may also refer to:
Persons
- Richard FitzWilliam, 5th Viscount FitzWilliam (1677–1743), Irish nobleman and politician
- Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Viscount FitzWilliam (1745–1816)
- Thomas Fitzwilliam (disambiguation)
- Wendy Fitzwilliam (b. 1972), Trinidad and Tobago's second Miss Universe
- William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam (1748–1833), British statesman
Peerages
- Earl Fitzwilliam, title in the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of Great Britain
- Viscount FitzWilliam, title in the Peerage of Ireland
Place names
- Fitzwilliam, West Yorkshire, village in England
- Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, town in USA
Other
- Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (University of Cambridge)
- Fitzwilliam Museum, art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge
- Fitzwilliam Darcy, a fictional character from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
- Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, source of keyboard music in the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods in England