What is the four letter prefix added to patronymic surnames of Anglo-Norman origin to mean 'son of'?
Fitzwilliam 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
English surnames of Norman origin English surnames of Norman origin Some family names contain clues as to their origin, like English surnames of Norman Origin. William, Duke of Normandy, successfully invaded England in 1066, and this invasion left a lasting legacy in the English language, in general, and in surnames, in particular. According to Christopher Daniell, in "From Norman Conquest to Magna Carta", 1140 marked what might be the first recorded use of a modern surname, inherited by multiple generations. The sons of a Norman named Robert used a modern inheritable surname, "FitzGerald", in honour of an earlier relative, named "Gerald". According to Joslin Fiennes's