Fitzer

Recorded in several spelling forms including the popular Fisher and the much rarer Fiser, Fizer, Fitzer and Fitzar, this interesting surname is Anglo-Scottish. It has a number of origins. Firstly, it may be an occupational name for a fisherman, deriving from the Olde English pre 7th Century "fiscere", meaning "to catch fish". Secondly, it may be a topographical name for someone who lived near a fish weir on a river, deriving from the word "fisc" plus the Middle English "gere" a development of the Old Norse "gervi" meaning weir or apparatus". Finally it may be an Ashkenazic occupational name for a fisherman from the Yiddish word "fischer". Early examples of surname recordings include Michael Fysser, a burgess of Perth in Scotland in 1292, Martin atte Fisshar of Sussex in 1330, and the marriage of Annis Fisher to Robart Marle on July 6th 1549, at St. Martin Orgar, city of London. Other recordings are those of Margaret Fyser who married Phillip Meredyth at St Margarets church, Westminster, on April 22nd 1575 and Murice Fitzer, a witness at the church of St Gregory's by St Pauls (Cathedral), on August 19th 1655. One of the most notable nameholders and an early arctic explorer was George Fisher (1794 - 1873), who acted as astronomer to the Polar expedition of 1818. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard le Fischer, which was dated 1263 in the tax rolls known as the "Feet of Fines" for the county of Essex. This was during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.