FitzGerald Mac Gearailt
Arms of FitzGerald:Argent a saltire gules
Parent house	House of Gherardini
Etymology	"Son of Gerald"
Place of origin	Ireland andGreat Britain
Founded	1075; 950 years ago (1075)
Founder	Gerald de Windsor
Current head	Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster
Titles	Viceroy of Ireland,Canada, andIndia (non-hereditary) Duke of Leinster Marquess of Kildare Marquess of Lansdowne Marcher Lord Earl Palatine Earl of Desmond Earl of Kerry Earl of Kildare Earl of Offaly Earl of Shelburne Earl of Wycombe Earl of Orkney Viscount Leinster Viscount Feilding Viscount Callan Viscount Clanmaurice Viscount Fitzmaurice Viscount Calne and Calstone Viscount Kilmaule Viscount of Kirkwall Viscount FitzGibbon Baron Desmond Baron Kildare Baron Offaly Baron Kerry Baron Odorney Baron Feilding of Newnham Paddox Baron St Liz Baron Fielding of Lecaghe Baron of Kerry and Lixnaw Baron Dunkeron Baron Wycombe of Chipping Wycombe Baron Lecale Baron de Ros Baron FitzMaurice Baron FitzGerald Baron FitzGerald and Vesey Baron FitzGibbon of Lower Connello Baron FitzGibbon of Sidbury Baron of Enisnag[1] Baron of Burnchurch[1] Baronet of Clenlish Baronet of Newmarket on Fergus Baronet of Valentia Baronet of Geraldine Place Black Knight Green Knight White Knight Lord Dechmont Lord ofCilgerran Lord of Decies Lord of Offaly Lord ofMaynooth Lord ofNaas Lord ofLlanstephan Lord OConnello Lord of Kiltrany Lord of Carew[2] Lord of Emlyn[3]
Connected families	Dinefwr de Montgomery Stuart Grey de Vere Leveson-Gower Howard Villiers DeBarry Rohan-Chabot Butler Guinness Kennedy Astor Keating
Motto	Crom A Boo ("Crom Forever"[4])
Estates	Cilgerran Castle Maynooth Castle Carton House Adare Manor Lismore Castle Leinster House Carew Castle Cliveden House Lansdowne House Bowood House Kilkea Castle Johnstown Castle Oakley Court Newnham Paddox House Lleweni Hall Waterford Castle Ardfert Abbey Askeaton Abbey Llansteffan Castle Listowel Castle Glin Castle Ashdown House Frescati House Derreen House Castle Dodd Desmond Hall and Castle Croom Castle Rahinnane Castle Woodstock Castle Ardglass Castle Desmond Castle Desmond Castle of Adare Desmond Castle of Askeaton Shanid Castle Lea Castle Sligo Castle White's Castle Donadea Castle Leigh House Geashill Castle Black Castle Castle Matrix Gowran Castle Carrigafoyle Castle Ballinruddery Castle Morett Castle[5] Clonamery Castle[6] Brownsford Castle[6] Ballyseede Castle[7]
Cadet branches	House of Kildare House of Desmond House of Leinster

TheFitzGerald dynasty is aHiberno-Norman noble and aristocratic dynasty, originally ofCambro-Norman andAnglo-Norman origin. They have beenpeers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in theAnnals of the Four Masters as having become "more Irish than the Irish themselves" orGaels, due to assimilation with the native Gaelic aristocratic and popular culture. The dynasty has also been referred to as theGeraldines and Ireland's largest landowners.^[8] They achieved power through colonisation and the conquest of large swathes of Irish territory by the sons and grandsons ofGerald de Windsor (c. 1075 – 1135). Gerald de Windsor (Gerald FitzWalter) was the firstCastellan ofPembroke Castle in Wales, and became the male progenitor of theFitzMaurice and FitzGerald Dynasty ("fitz", from theAnglo-Normanfils indicating "sons of" Gerald). His father,BaronWalter FitzOther, was the firstConstable and Governor of Windsor Castle forWilliam the Conqueror, and was the Lord of 38 manors in England, making the FitzGeralds one of the "service families" on whom the King relied for his survival.^[9] Some of its members became theBlack Knights,Green Knights andWhite Knights.^[10]

The main branches of the family are:

• The FitzMaurices and FitzGeralds of Kildare (Earls of Kildare from 1316, later Marquesses of Kildare and from 1766Dukes of Leinster and Premier Peers of Ireland). The current head isMaurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster.
• The Fitzmaurices and FitzGeralds of Desmond (Barons Desmond, laterEarls of Desmond).

The progenitor of the Irish FitzGerald dynasty was a Cambro-NormanMarcher Lord namedMaurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan, son ofGerald de Windsor and PrincessNest ferch Rhys, of the Welsh royalHouse of Dinefwr. Maurice married a daughter of the Norman magnateArnulf de Montgomery:the Montgomeries, lords of 150 manors and 30 castles, were the most powerful magnates in both England andNormandy, and were of the same family as William the Conqueror.^[11][12] His wife's maternal grandfather was the High King of Ireland,Muirchertach Ua Briain (seeArnulf de Montgomery) which may have influenced the important role Maurice played the 1169Norman invasion of Ireland.

The FitzGeralds claim kinship with theTudors who descended from the same Welsh royal line as Princess Nest's father,Rhys ap Tewdwr, King of Deheubarth. Consequently, the FitzMaurices and FitzGeralds are cousins to the Tudors (Tewdwrs in Welsh) through Princess Nest and her Welsh family.

In his poetry,Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, a cousin ofAnne Boleyn, also referred to CountessElizabeth FitzGerald, (1527–89) as "Fair Geraldine", alluding to her family's Italian ancestry through theGherardinis of Florence. The FitzGerald dynasty has played a major role in Irish history.Gearóid Mór, 8th Earl of Kildare and his sonGearóid Óg, 9th Earl of Kildare, wereLord Deputy of Ireland in the late-fifteenth and early-sixteenth centuries respectively. Both married to cousins ofHenry Tudor, first monarch of theHouse of Tudor.

During theItalian War of 1521–1526,James FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond, conspired with theVenetians and KingFrancis I of France, ofChâteau de Chambord, against theHabsburgs,Tudors andMedicis.^[13] After the war, he sided once again against England, and allied himself withCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor during theWar of the League of Cognac.^[14] Another notable rebel was CommanderJames FitzMaurice FitzGerald, who led theDesmond Rebellions against the Tudors, and negotiated withCatherine de' Medici with the ambition of making her son,Henry III of France, the new King of Ireland.^[15]Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond led theSecond Desmond Rebellion with the help of the King of Spain,Philip of Habsburg, andPope Gregory XIII, in an attempt to put on the throne DukeGiacomo Boncompagni.

Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare (died 1537), known as "Silken Thomas," also led an unsuccessful insurrection in Ireland, whileLord Edward FitzGerald (1763–1798), the fifth son of the first duke of Leinster, was a leading figure in the1798 Irish Rebellion against KingGeorge III of theHouse of Hanover. Thomas's half-brother, the11th Earl, nicknamed the "Wizard Earl", went into exile in Italy, joined theGeraldine League, and became a member of the household of the Duke of Mantua, of theGonzaga family, andMaster of Horse toCosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany.^[16][17]

In Irish history, an example of the FitzGerald dynasty becoming "more Irish than the Irish themselves" isGerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond (1335–1398), who was also known by the Irish GaelicGearóid Iarla (Earl Gerald).^[18][19]Although madeLord Chief Justice of Ireland in 1367,^[19] Gerald wrote poetry in theIrish language, most famously the poemMairg adeir olc ris na mnáibh^[18] ("Woe to Those who Speak Ill of Womankind"). Indeed, although an accomplished poet in Norman French,^[19] Gerald was instrumental in the move by the Fitzmaurices and Fitzgeralds of Desmond toward greater use of the Irish language.^[18]

Many members of the Fitzmaurices also became notable over the centuries, such asWilliam Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, the Prime Minister of Britain who negotiated withBenjamin Franklin and secured peace with America at the end of theAmerican War of Independence, orHenry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, Viceroy of Canada and India,^[22] who became a half-nephew of EmperorNapoleon III, a step-grandson of QueenHortense Bonaparte, and a great-grandson ofTalleyrand, connecting the family with the Houses ofBeauharnais,Talleyrand, andBonaparte. TheTreaty of Paris (1783), that gave the independence to the United States was drafted from William's home atLansdowne House, and Henry was made a member of the prominentBrooks's Club, alongside the8th Duke of Devonshire ofChatsworth House, Prime MinisterLord Rosebery ofMentmore Towers, and BaronLionel de Rothschild, grandson ofMayer Amschel, founder of theHouse of Rothschild.^[21][20]

The present-day seat of the Irish ParliamentDáil Éireann is housed inLeinster House, which was first built in 1745–48 byJames FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster as the ducal palace for the Dukes of Leinster. TheWhite House in the United States, seat of theU.S. President, was based on Leinster House, and was designed by Irish architectJames Hoban forGeorge Washington, who also supervised theU.S. Capitol's construction forThomas Jefferson.^{[23][24][25][26]} The Dukes were related to the Royal houses ofBourbon,Medici, andHabsburg, among others, as the first Duke married the great-granddaughter of KingCharles II of the RoyalHouse of Stuart. Charles's mother, QueenHenrietta Maria de Bourbon, was the aunt ofLouis XIV ofVersailles, while his grandmother and great-grandmother were the QueensMarie de' Medici andJoanna of Habsburg. The current Duke isMaurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster, who is also the 9thMarquess of Kildare, 28thEarl of Kildare, 9thEarl of Offaly, 9thViscount Leinster of Taplow, 14thBaron Offaly, 6thBaron Kildare.

The surnameFitzGerald is apatronymic of theNorman form,fitz meaning "son". "Fitz Gerald" thus means inOld Norman and inOld French "son ofGerald".Gerald itself is a Germaniccompound ofger, "spear", andwaltan, "rule". Variant spellings includeFitz-Gerald and the modernFitzgerald. The name can also appear as two separate wordsFitz Gerald.

The earliest recorded use of thepatronymic FitzGerald is that of Raoul fitz Gerald le Chambellan, member of theTancarville family. Raoul was a Norman baron,Chamberlain of Normandy, educator of the youngWilliam, future Conqueror of England, and father of William deTancarville,Earl of Tankerville and chief chamberlain ofNormandy and England after theNorman conquest. The eponymous ancestor of the various FitzGerald branches, as well as of thede Barry and FitzMaurice families, wasGerald FitzWalter of Windsor. Gerald was aNorman adventurer who took part in the 1093 invasion of South Wales upon the death in battle ofRhys ap Tewdwr, last king of South Wales.^{[citation needed]}

Gerald was the youngest son of another Norman adventurer,Walter fitz Otho,William the Conqueror's Constable for the strategic military fortress ofWindsor Castle, as well as the King's Keeper of the Forests of Berkshire.Domesday Book records Walter fitz Otho as tenant-in-chief of lands formerly held by conquered Englishmen inBerkshire, Buckinghamshire,Hampshire, andMiddlesex. Walter's positions and most of his lands were inherited by Gerald's older brothers, Robert, Maurice, and William, the oldest, ancestor of the earls ofPlymouth, while Gerald inherited the estate ofMoulsford, now inOxfordshire, near toWallingford, where his father owned a fortified house adjacent to those of other powerful Norman authorities.

Nest ferch Rhys ap Tewdwr was the daughter of the last king of South Wales by his wife, Gwladys ferch Rhiwallon ap Cynfyn ofPowys. Their grandchildren,Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan,Raymond le Gros andPhilip de Barry were leaders in theNorman invasion of Ireland. Nest's son by her second marriage,Robert FitzStephen, was another participant, as was William de Hay, husband of one of Gerald's and Nest's granddaughters. Nest's grandson (through her son byHenry I of England, son ofWilliam the Conqueror), namedMeiler FitzHenry, was appointedLord Justice of Ireland for his cousin, KingHenry II of England, member of theHouse of Plantagenet.

The most renowned of Gerald's and Nest's grandchildren,Gerald of Wales, gave an account of the Norman invasion, as well as lively and invaluable descriptions of Ireland and Wales in the late 12th century. He becameArchdeacon of Brecon, serving ArchbishopBaldwin of Forde, a past tutor ofPope Eugene III's nephew, and worked with him at recruiting members for theThird Crusade ofRichard the Lionheart againstSaladin. On many attempts Gerald tried to become theBishop of St. Davids but failed, despite having met in RomePope Innocent III, who would later experienced theSack of Constantinople. More than twenty works has been produced by Gerald of Wales, and his statue can be seen today inCity Hall, Cardiff, in Wales.

The earliest record of theHouse of Gherardini of Ireland, represented by the FitzGeralds, can be traced back in the year 1413 to the accounts of Lord Antonio d'Ottaviano di Rossellino Gherardini.^[27] A priest named Maurice Fitzgerald was of passage inFlorence at that time, with a Bishop of theOrder of Saint Augustine, and has been able to enter in contact with one of his fellow kinsman, who then introduced him to other members of the Gherardinis.^[28] As being part of the Gherardini family that dwelt in the island of Ireland, further exchanges were eventually done by the family to meet again. A letter written in 1440 by theChancellor of Florence,Leonardo Bruni, one of the associates ofCosimo de' Medici, stipulated that Giovanni Betti di Gherardini, a representative of the family, was sent to Ireland to become acquainted with his other kinsmen from the Geraldines of Ireland, theEarls of Kildare.^[29]

Confirmed as well in 1507 by theViceroy of Ireland,Gerald Fitzgerald, to Giovanni Manni, a Florentine merchant in passage to Ireland.^[30][31][16] Gerald Fitzgerald's letters were signed as "Gerald, Chief in Ireland of the family of the Gherardini".^[32] His son, the9th Earl of Kildare, was also known as Lord Garrett, which translates as Signore Gherardini in Italian, and was married toElizabeth Grey of the RoyalHouse of Grey, a granddaughter of QueenElizabeth Woodville.^[33] A letter written in 1566 by Girolamo Fortini, who was married to a daughter of Antonio Gherardini from Florence, to his brother in London, also stated that the Earl of Kildare was of the same family.^[34]

Cristoforo Landino, tutor ofLorenzo de' Medici, stated in his preface of theDivine Comedy (Comedia) of the famous poetDante Alighieri, that the descendants of Tommaso, Gherardo, and Maurizio Gherardini^[35] were the ancestors of the Earls of Kildare andEarls of Desmonds, and went on to Conquer Ireland^[36] with theKing of England.^[37][38] The Divine Comedy was first launch at thePalazzo Vecchio in Florence. The English poetHenry Howard, Earl of Surrey, user of the sonnet form that would later be used byWilliam Shakespeare, also referred to the ancestral seat of the Geraldines inFlorence in his poemDescription and praise of his love.^[39]

Since the 15th century, the FitzGeralds and the Gherardinis are known to be in touch and to acknowledge their kinship.^{[40][29][41][16]} A 2014 cover story published by "Sette", the Italian weekly magazine ofCorriere della Sera, was an article dedicated to theGherardini family of Montagliari and their relationship with the FitzGerald Family as well as with theKennedy family. According to the magazine, the three families have maintained relationship among them even in recent times or in the past (for example with American PresidentJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy).^[42][41] The link with the Kennedy family came from theEarl of Desmond branch, and can be seen on thecoat of arms granted to John FitzGerald Kennedy by theChief Herald of Ireland.

• Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly (c. 1150–1204), was granted estates in Ireland, confirmed by PrinceJohn Plantagenet
• Maurice FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly (1194–1257), Justiciar of Ireland, accompanied KingHenry of Winchester toPoitou andGascony in France
• Maurice FitzGerald, 3rd Lord of Offaly (1238–1286), Justiciar of Ireland, chief magnate summoned by PrinceEdward Longshanks about the wars in Ireland withWalter de Burgh, 1st Earl of Ulster

• John FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Kildare (1250–1316), already 4th Lord of Offaly, was rewarded for servingEdward I of England inScotland
• Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Kildare (died 1328), younger (only surviving) son of the 1st Earl, in charge of 30,000 men against EarlEdward Bruce, brother of KingRobert the Bruce
  • John FitzGerald (1314–1323), eldest son of the 2nd Earl, died in childhood
• Richard FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Kildare (1317–1329), second son of the 2nd Earl, died unmarried
• Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare (1318–1390), third and youngest son of the 2nd Earl, leader of the army, serving KingEdward of Windsor at the siege ofCalais
• Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Kildare (died 1410), a son of the 4th Earl, leading opponent of theLord Lieutenant of Ireland,John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
  • The 5th Earl had sons, but they presumably predeceased him
• John FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Kildare (de jure; d. 1427), a younger son of the 4th Earl
• Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare (died 1478), son of the 6th Earl, was appointedLord Deputy of Ireland byRichard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York
• Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare (c. 1456–1513), "The Great Earl", eldest son of the 7th earl, was "the uncrowned King of Ireland", he married a cousin of the Tudor KingHenry VII
• Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (1487–1534), "Young Gerald", eldest son of the 8th earl, married the great-granddaughter ofElizabeth Woodville, Queen consort of KingEdward IV

• Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare (died 1537),"Silken Thomas", eldest son of the 9th earl, led an insurrection in Ireland and his honours were forfeit, and he died unmarried
• Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare (1525–1585), the "Wizard Earl", second son of the 9th earl, was given a new creation in 1554, then restored to his brother's honours in 1569
• Henry FitzGerald, 12th Earl of Kildare (1562–1597), second son of the 11th earl, died without male issue, married a daughter ofCharles Howard, the Lord High Admiral who won theSpanish Armada
• William FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Kildare (died 1599), third and youngest son of the 11th earl, died unmarried
• Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Kildare (died 1612), elder son of Edward, himself third and youngest son of the 9th earl, his mother was CountessElizabeth Grey, a cousin ofHenry VIII
• Gerald FitzGerald, 15th Earl of Kildare (1611–1620), only son of the 14th earl, died in childhood
• George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of Kildare (1612–1660), a son of Thomas, himself younger brother of the 14th earl, his grandfatherThomas Randolph negotiated the marriage ofMary, Queen of Scots
• Wentworth FitzGerald, 17th Earl of Kildare (1634–1664), elder son of the 16th earl, married Elizabeth Vere, a granddaughter ofHorace Vere, 1st Baron Vere of Tilbury of theHouse of De Vere
• John FitzGerald, 18th Earl of Kildare (1661–1707), only son of the 17th earl, died without surviving issue, married a granddaughter ofGeorge Stewart, 9th Seigneur d'Aubigny of theHouse of Stuart
  • Henry FitzGerald, Lord Offaly (1683–1684), only son of the 18th earl, died in infancy
• Robert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of Kildare (1675–1744), only son of Robert, himself younger son of the 16th earl, married a granddaughter of SirEdward Villiers, member of the powerfulHouse of Villiers
• James FitzGerald, 20th Earl of Kildare (1722–1773) was createdMarquess of Kildare in 1761, married to a daughter of DukeCharles Lennox, the great-grandson of QueenHenrietta Maria de Bourbon
• Lettice FitzGerald, 1st Baroness Offaly,suo jure Baroness Offaly (1580–1658), her maternal great-grandmother wasMary Boleyn, elder sister of QueenAnne Boleyn
• Lord Edward FitzGerald (1763–1798), Irish aristocrat and revolutionary, was a cousin ofCharles James Fox, fought on the British side during theAmerican War of Independence
• Lady Edward FitzGerald, known as "Pamela" (c. 1773–1831), wife of Lord Edward FitzGerald, adopted daughter of comtesseStéphanie Félicité, family fled France during theFrench Revolution

• James FitzGerald, 1st Marquess of Kildare (1722–1773) was createdDuke of Leinster in 1766

Other titles: Marquesse of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, of Taplow in the County of Buckingham (GB 1747) andLord of Offaly (c. 1193–?)

• James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster (1722–1773), elder son of the 19th earl, his wife,Lady Emily Lennox, was a cousin ofKing George III, and a granddaughter ofCharles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond
• William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster (1749–1804), second son of the 1st duke, his grandsonPhilippe de Rohan-Chabot, Comte de Jarnac, was a member of the FrenchHouse of Rohan
  • George FitzGerald, Marquess of Kildare (1783–1784), eldest son of the 2nd duke, died in infancy
• Augustus FitzGerald, 3rd Duke of Leinster (1791–1874), second son of the 2nd duke, member of thePrivy Council and wasLord High Constable of Ireland forWilliam IV andQueen Victoria

Other titles (4th Duke onwards): Baron Kildare (UK 1870)

• Charles FitzGerald, 4th Duke of Leinster (1819–1887), eldest son of the 3rd duke, married a daughter of DukeGeorge Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, her grandfather the1st Duke was the wealthiest man in Britain
• Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Duke of Leinster (1851–1893), eldest son of the 4th duke, was a nephew ofGeorge Douglas Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll, andHugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
• Maurice FitzGerald, 6th Duke of Leinster (1887–1922), eldest son of the 5th duke, died unmarried, grandson ofWilliam Duncombe, 1st Earl of Feversham
• Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster (1892–1976), third and youngest son of the 5th duke, married actressDenise Orme, grandmother of PrinceAga Khan IV, was stepfather of PrincessTaj-ud-dawlah
• Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Duke of Leinster (1914–2004), only legitimate son of the 7th duke, his step-sister married PrinceAly Khan, son of SultanAga Khan III, President of theLeague of Nations
• Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Duke of Leinster (born 1948), elder son of the 8th duke, landscape designer, brother ofLord John FitzGerald, horseracing administrator of the Sheikh of Dubai,Mohammed Bin Rashid
  • Thomas FitzGerald, Earl of Offaly (1974–1997), only son of the 9th duke, died unmarried in aroad traffic collision
  • Theheir presumptive is the 9th Duke's nephew Edward FitzGerald (born 1988), being the son of the present Duke's deceased younger brotherLord John FitzGerald (1952–2015)

The line of the Earls of Desmond has been extinct since the 17th century. Their branch of the dynasty continues only in their distant collateral kinsmen, Ireland's hereditary knights (for whom see section below).

• John FitzThomas, 1st Baron Desmond (died 1261) son ofThomas FitzMaurice, Lord OConnello, fought the King of DesmondFinghin Mac Cárthaigh and theO'Sullivans
• Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 2nd Baron Desmond (died 1298) (grandson of preceding), was deputy justiciar and acted asLord Chief Justice of Ireland
• Thomas FitzThomas FitzGerald, 3rd Baron Desmond (1290–1307) (son of preceding), died young with great wealth and large estates
• Maurice FitzThomas FitzGerald, 4th Baron Desmond (died 1356) (brother of preceding; created earl of Desmond in 1329), married a daughter of the Prince ofThomond

• Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond (died 1356) (new creation), assisted in the war against KingPhilip VI of France of theHouse of Valois
• Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Desmond (1336–1358) (son of preceding), married the daughter ofRalph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford,
• Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond (died 1398) (half-brother of preceding), in-law ofHenry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster, of theHouse of Plantagenet
• John FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Desmond (died 1399) (son of preceding), grandson ofJames Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond, and descendant ofEdward Longshanks
• Thomas FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Desmond (c. 1386–1420) (son of preceding), withdrew to France and died atRouen, buried inParis with two Kings in attendance
• James FitzGerald, 6th Earl of Desmond (died 1463) (the "Usurper," paternal uncle of preceding), godfather toGeorge Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence
• Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond (died 1468) (son of preceding), Lord Deputy of Ireland under the Duke of Clarence, brother of KingEdward IV of theHouse of York
• James FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Desmond (1459–1487) (son of preceding), married to a daughter of Thady O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, received gifts from KingRichard III
• Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Desmond (died 1520) (brother of preceding), supportedPerkin Warbeck, pretender to the English throne, in theSiege of Waterford
• James FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Desmond (died 1529) (son of preceding), fought in theWar of the League of Cognac forCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor of theHouse of Habsburg
• Thomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Desmond (1454–1534) (paternal uncle of preceding), signed theTreaty of Dingle with Don Gonzalez Fernandez, Ambassador ofEmperor Charles V
• John FitzGerald, de facto 12th Earl of Desmond (died 1536) (brother of preceding, paternal granduncle ofJames FitzGerald, de jure 12th Earl of Desmond)
• James FitzGerald, de jure 12th Earl of Desmond (died 1540) (grandson ofThomas FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Desmond, grandnephew ofJohn FitzGerald, de facto 12th Earl of Desmond)
• James FitzGerald, 13th Earl of Desmond (died 1558) (son ofJohn FitzGerald, de facto 12th Earl of Desmond), appointedLord Treasurer of Ireland by KingEdward Tudor
• Gerald FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond (c. 1533–1583) (son of preceding; forfeit 1582), fought in theBattle of Affane and led theSecond Desmond Rebellion

• James FitzThomas FitzGerald theSugán Earl, died inTower of London c.1607, was chased byGeorge Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes

• James FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond (1571–1601) (known as the "Tower Earl of Desmond"), son ofEleanor Butler, Countess of Desmond

• Gerald Fitzgerald, 3rd Lord Decies, married to a daughter ofPiers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond, member of theHouse of Butler

The closely related FitzMaurice Barons and laterEarls of Kerry continue in the male line with the current Petty-FitzMauriceMarquesses of Lansdowne, but they descend fromJohn FitzGerald, 1st Baron Desmond's nephew, Thomas FitzMaurice, 1st Baron of Kerry, son of his brother Maurice FitzThomas. Thus in fact they represent a "sister" branch to the FitzGeralds of Desmond. However this technically makes them slightly closer to the FitzGeralds of Desmond than either are to the Offaly-Kildare-Leinster Geraldines, represented by the modernDukes of Leinster, who descend fromGerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly, uncle of the 1st Baron Desmond.

The House of Corsygedol (Vaughans) is a branch of theLords of Desmond, nowEarls of Desmond, and was founded byOsborn Wyddel (Fitzgerald-Osbourne), a descendant ofGerald de Windsor.^{[43][44][45][46]} Wyddel,c. 13th century arrived inWales (Kingdom of Gwynedd) from Ireland with PrinceLlywelyn the Great and was granted estates and arms, he married a ward of Llywelyn, who was also an heiress of theCorsygedol andPlas Hen estates inGwynedd. They flourished inNorth Wales for centuries, by the 18th century, their Corsygedol estates were inherited by theMostyn baronets family through marriage.^[45][47]

Its cadet branches are theHouse of Yale (Yale family) of Plas-yn-Yale, and theHughes of Gwerclas ofGwerclas, native royal families of theMathrafal dynasty.^[48][49] Their coat of arms are those of Osborn Fitzgerald ; viz. erm. on saltire gu. a crescent or. Crest is a wild boar in a toil.^[50][46]

These threehereditary knighthoods were created for their kinsmen by the Earls of Desmond,^[51] acting asEarls Palatine.

• Knight of Kerry (Green Knight) – the holder is SirAdrian FitzGerald, 6th Baronet of Valencia, 24th Knight of Kerry. He is also aKnight of Malta, and President of the Irish Association of theSovereign Military Order of Malta.
• Knight of Glin (Black Knight) – dormant (from 2011), after the death ofDesmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin, the ancestral seat for over 700 years isGlin Castle.
• White Knight (Fitzgibbon family) – dormant (from 1611), after the death of Maurice Oge Fitzgibbon, 12th White Knight.

According to the 1890 Matheson report, Fitzgerald/FitzGerald was the 36th most common surname in Ireland.^[52]

Fitzgerald/FitzGerald is the 692nd most frequent surname in the United Kingdom.^[53] The surname occurs most frequently in the following ten counties, in descending order, with the number of occurrences in parentheses: "1. Greater London, (500), Greater Manchester (191), West Midlands (176), Lancashire (130), Kent (118), Essex (117), West Yorkshire (113), Merseyside (108), Hampshire (84), and Surrey (76)."^[53]

"Fitzgerald" (including "FitzGerald," as the survey was not case-sensitive),^[54] was the 390th most common surname in the 2000United States census.^[54] 73,522 Fitzgeralds were counted, with 27.25 Fitzgeralds per 100,000 members of the population.^[54] Respondents surnamed Fitzgerald had self-reported ethnicities of 88.03% non-Hispanic white only, 8.44% non-Hispanic black only, 0.32% non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander only, 1.28% non-Hispanic Asian only, 1.43% of two or more non-Hispanic races, and 1.43% Hispanic.^[54]

The FitzGerald dynasty was the subject of a poem called"The Geraldines" byThomas Osborne Davis, the chief organizer and poet of the nationalistYoung Ireland movement. The ill-fated romance ofThomas FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Desmond with Catherine MacCormac was the subject^[55] of the air "Desmond's Song"^[56] by the Irish poetThomas Moore.

Saint Patrick's Saltire, sometimes used to represent Ireland in modern flags, may have derived from the arms of the Geraldines.^[57]

TheArleigh Burke-class destroyerUSS Fitzgerald in theUnited States Navy is named for LieutenantWilliam Charles Fitzgerald, USN. The Fitzgerald family coat of arms (a white shield with a red saltire) provides the foundation for the coat of arms for USSFitzgerald.

A variety ofpeople, places, and businesses bear the name FitzGerald or Fitzgerald, including theFitzGerald crater on the far side of theMoon, named for physicistGeorge FitzGerald.

• Irish nobility
• Hiberno-Norman
• FitzGerald baronets
• Butler–FitzGerald dispute

Wikisource has the text of the1911Encyclopædia Britannica article "Fitzgerald".

• Media related toFitzGerald dynasty at Wikimedia Commons

• FitzGerald dynasty
• Áine
• Clíodhna
• Irish royal families

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