Fitzroy facts for kids

Fitzroy or FitzRoy is a special name that comes from old French words meaning "son of the king." Sometimes, this name was given to a king's child who was born outside of marriage. Many people today still have this name because they are descendants of these royal families.

People with the Name Fitzroy

The name Fitzroy can be a first name, a middle name, or a last name.

As a First or Middle Name

Some famous families have used Fitzroy as a middle name for many generations.

• FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) was a British army officer. He was the youngest son of the 5th Duke of Beaufort.
• Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1824–1899) was another important member of the Somerset family.
• Lord Melody (1926–1988), whose real name was Fitzroy Alexander, was a very popular singer from Trinidad. He was known for his calypso music.

As a Last Name

Many people with the last name Fitzroy are related to kings from history.

Descendants of King Charles II

King Charles II of England had several children with Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland. Many of these children were given the last name Fitzroy.

• Lady Anne Fitzroy (1661–1722) was a daughter of King Charles II. She later became the Countess of Sussex.
• Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Cleveland (1662–1730) was a son of King Charles II. His son, William FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Cleveland (1698–1774), was the last of their family line to hold that title.
• Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton (1663–1690) was another son of King Charles II. His family became the Dukes of Grafton.
  • Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (1735–1811) was a very important person. He even served as the British Prime Minister!
  • Charles Augustus FitzRoy (1796–1858) was a British military officer. He later became the Governor of New South Wales in Australia.
  • Robert FitzRoy (1805–1865) was a famous British naval officer. He was the captain of HMS Beagle, the ship that carried Charles Darwin around the world. FitzRoy was also a meteorologist, which means he studied weather. He even became the Governor of New Zealand.
• George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1665–1716) was another son of King Charles II.

Other Notable People

The name Fitzroy has been used by other important people throughout history, often with connections to royalty.

• Matilda FitzRoy, Duchess of Brittany was a daughter of Henry I of England.
• Matilda FitzRoy, Countess of Perche (died 1120) was another daughter of Henry I of England.
• Richard FitzRoy (around 1190 – 1246) was a son of King John of England.
• Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset (1519–1536) was a son of Henry VIII of England.
• Nancy Deloye Fitzroy (born 1927) is a modern American engineer. She was the first woman president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Fictional Characters

You might also hear the name Fitzroy in stories and games.

• Trevor Fitzroy is a bad guy from the Marvel Comics and X-Men stories.
• Daisy Fitzroy is a character in the video game BioShock Infinite. She leads a group called the Vox Populi.

Places Named Fitzroy

Many places around the world are named Fitzroy.

Argentina

• Monte Fitz Roy, also known as Cerro Chaltén, is a famous mountain.
• Fitz Roy, Santa Cruz, is a town in southern Argentina.

Australia

• Fitzroy Crossing is a town in Western Australia.
• Fitzroy, Victoria is a suburb of Melbourne.
• Fitzroy, South Australia is a suburb of Adelaide.
• Fitzroy Island National Park is a beautiful park in Queensland.
• Fitzroy River (Queensland) is a river in Central Queensland.

Canada

• Fitzroy Provincial Park is a park in Ontario.
• Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario is a community in Ontario.

Chile

• Fitzroy Channel is a waterway near Punta Arenas.

Falkland Islands

• Fitzroy, Falkland Islands is a settlement on the islands.

New Zealand

• Fitzroy, Taranaki is a suburb of New Plymouth.
• Fitzroy, Waikato is a suburb of Hamilton.

United Kingdom

• Fitzroy Square is a well-known square in London.
• FitzRoy is a sea area used in the British Shipping Forecast, which tells ships about the weather.

United States of America

• Admiral Fitzroy Inn is a historic inn in Newport, Rhode Island.
• The Fitzroy is an apartment building in New York City.

Ships Named Fitzroy

• HMS Fitzroy refers to more than one British ship that belonged to the Royal Navy.