Surname Fitton - Meaning and Origin

Fitton: What does the surname Fitton mean?

The surname Fitton is of English and Irish origin. It was derived from a diminutive form of the name Fitche, which is thought to be derived from the Old French term ficche, meaning "to make a fitch" or "to make something neat and tidy."

In England, the Fitton surname is mainly found in Cheshire and Lancashire. In Ireland, it is most commonly found in counties Down, Armagh, and Tyrone.

The Fitton name first appeared in English records in the 13th century, when Robert Ficche was recorded as a witness in the Assize Court Rolls of Cheshire in 1286. The Fitton family was also recorded in ancient Irish records in the 14th century, when the name was recorded as Uaitune in 1346, and as Fytton in 1455.

In the 16th century, the Fitton name appears in many records, when members of the family were listed as landowners in the counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. During the 18th century, the Fitton name also appears in records of people who served in the military.

Today, the Fitton surname is fairly common in both England and Ireland, and the name is still used today as a first name or surname. People with the name Fitton are said to be determined, optimistic, and always seeking new challenges and opportunities.

Fitton: Where does the name Fitton come from?

The last name Fitton is a surname of English origin. Today, this name is most populous in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, but can be found in many other countries all over the world.

In the United Kingdom, the Fitton surname is most commonly found in Yorkshire and Lancashire, while it is also prevalent in the metropolitan areas of London, Birmingham, and Manchester. In Ireland, the top counties where the Fitton name is common are Belfast, Cork, and Limerick, while in Australia the east coast states are where it is seen most often. Similarly, in New Zealand, the name is most common on the North and South Islands.

In the United States, the states in which the Fitton name is found most often are Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Massachusetts. Other states in which the surname has a notable presence include California, Wisconsin, New York, and Illinois.

It is likely that the Fitton name is so widely found around the world due to the fact that there was much emigration out of the British Isles during both World War I and World War II, as well as during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Variations of the surname Fitton

The surname Fitton is of English origin and can be variantly spelled Fittan, Fitton, Phiton, and possibly Fitten. It is derived from "Fytone, a habitational name from either of two places in Cheshire: Fitton near Nantwich, or Fitton Hill near Congleton. These places are both derived from the Old English ‘fitte’, meaning fat, and ‘tun’, meaning homestead or settlement.

Further derivatives of these variant spellings include Vitton, Fiddon, Fedyen, Fython, Fythan, Fithon, Fithan, Phyton, and whenever surnames became fixed in the 19th century as a result of increased literacy, many spelling forms were homogenized to the most familiar form.

The relationship between the variant spellings of the same surname Fitton can become further complicated when looking at Married Surnames - the retained surname within the family, for example, if Mrs. Fitton was to marry Mr. Williams, then the name retained would be Fitton rather than Williams, creating a complex 'Mess' of a genealogical lineage.

Throughout England, the frequency of the surname Fitton has increased dramatically over the past two centuries with references to the surname being recorded in many counties including Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Norfolk and Cornwall. It is also believed to have spread further around Europe, mainly to Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, when people emigrated for a better life in the 1800s.

The different spellings of the surname Fitton show how surnames are often distorted and changed over time, as a result of changes in language and how it is pronounced. For researchers today, the number of variants associated with the Fitton surname can be of great help when attempting to trace family history.

Famous people with the name Fitton

• Mark Fitton: Mark Fitton is an English former cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper who played for Nottinghamshire.
• Robert Fitton: Robert Fitton was an 18th-century English antiquary and non-conformist minister. He amassed a collection of coins, medals and antiquities, and he published several works of English transcriptions.
• Thomas Fitton: Thomas Fitton was a 17th century English merchant who served on the court of Common Pleas and was instrumental in founding the charity that became Christ's Hospital in London.
• Alfred Fitton: Alfred Fitton was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and leg-break bowler who played for Warwickshire between 1879 and 1881.
• John Fitton: John Fitton was an English machine fitter and politician. He was the first socialist to represent Manchester Central on the City Council and was instrumental in the formation of the Independent Labour Party.
• Madge Fitton: Madge Fitton was an English actress and singer who is best remembered for her roles in the mid-20th century musicals such as Annie Get Your Gun, The King and I and Carousel.
• Thomas Fitton: Thomas Fitton was a 17th-century English poet and playwright. He is best known for co-writing the play Astrea; or, The sun gone down, which was the first ever performed at the new Drury Lane theatre.
• Stephen Fitton: Stephen Fitton is an English-American artist, author and professor. He is widely recognized for his prolific work in the form of books, installations, drawings, sculptures and prints, and is commonly known as a pioneer of the Neo-Romantic art movement.
• Frank Fitton: Frank Fitton was an English professional footballer. He was a centre-half who played for various clubs in the Midlands during the late 19th century, but is best remembered for his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
• Henry Fitton: Henry Fitton was an English botanist and professor of natural history at Gresham College in London. He wrote several books on the Lindley library and made enhanced botanical collections of European plants.

Other surnames

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