Which U.S. anthem lyricist was F. Scott Fitzgerald named after?

F. Scott Fitzgerald was named after Francis Scott Key, the lyricist of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Fitzgerald’s full birth name was Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. He was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on September 24, 1896, and received the name in honor of his distant relative Francis Scott Key, the lawyer and poet associated with the American national anthem.

Key wrote the poem “Defence of Fort M'Henry” in 1814 after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Set to the melody of a pre-existing British song, the poem eventually became “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which Congress made the U.S. national anthem in 1931.

Fitzgerald generally used “Scott” rather than “Francis,” which is why the connection is easy to miss. He became one of the defining writers of the Jazz Age, best known for The Great Gatsby, published in 1925. The F. in his name does not stand for Frederick; it stands for Francis.