If you have this surname, don't chuck a Fitz
Are you a bastard?
The prefix "Fitz" in a surname sometimes indicates illegitimacy. It means "son of", originally from the Latin filius (son).[1]
In the post-Norman British Isles, sons were (and often still are) given their father’s surname. Therefore those with "Fitz" prefixed to their father's first name indicated that their father's family recognised them as an illegitimate child and thus undeserving of a noble surname.
Before you start calling your Fitz-friend a bastard though, there are many exceptions to this rule too, listed on this wikipedia page.
