7 Common Last Names That Are Linked to Nobility
Have you ever wondered if your last name might have royal connections? Whether, through the centuries, your surname has traveled through the noble bloodlines of ancient empires and medieval kingdoms? Today, with genealogy websites and online surname databases, it’s easier than ever to trace a name’s history. But while millions of people around the world might be carrying monikers that once graced the halls of power, they often do so without realizing any potentially regal heritage.
Sometimes, the connection might seem obvious — if your last name is Tudor, Windsor, Habsburg, or Plantagenet, it’s not unreasonable to consider a royal connection. But those aren’t the only surnames with links to the kings and queens of yore. Here are seven common last names in the U.S. that may suggest a royal — or at least noble — lineage.
York
The name York is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and it’s a relatively common last name in the United States. It comes from the historic county of Yorkshire in northern England, which in turn gave its name to the House of York, a royal dynasty that provided three kings of England in the 15th century. The house was a cadet branch (a junior line of a noble, royal, or otherwise powerful family) of the House of Plantagenet. The House of Lancaster was also a cadet branch of the Plantagenets, and the two houses fought against each other in the Wars of the Roses. Lancaster is a moderately common surname in the United States.
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Bruce
The Bruce family was an old Scottish family of Norman French descent (coming from Bruis or Brix in France), to which two kings of Scotland belonged — most notably Robert the Bruce, who freed Scotland from English rule in the 14th century. Today, the Bruce name remains prominent in Scotland and is also a relatively common surname in the U.S.
Howard
Some well-known American celebrities have the surname Howard, including Ron Howard, his daughter Bryce Dallas Howard, and the celebrated American soccer player Tim Howard. There’s a chance that they, like other Howards, might have a connection to the historic Howard family, a notable aristocratic English family whose head, the Duke of Norfolk, is the premier duke and hereditary earl marshal of England. It’s not quite royalty, but the surname’s extensive historical connection to the English monarchy is nothing to sneeze at.
Russell
In 2000, Russell was ranked the 93rd most popular surname in the United States. Today’s Russells might have a connection with one of the most influential aristocratic lineages in Britain. While not of royal blood, the historic Russell family has centuries of noble heritage with plenty of royal links. The family became prominent under the Tudor sovereigns, and the senior line has held the title of Duke of Bedford since 1694. Lord John Russell served as British prime minister twice in the mid-19th century — and his grandson was the philosopher Bertrand Russell.
Campbell
After rising to prominence toward the end of the 1200s, Clan Campbell went on to become arguably the most successful clan in Scottish history. Through staunch support of Robert the Bruce and later Stewart monarchs, the Campbell family developed significant and long-standing royal connections. In 1871, John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, married Princess Louise, the sixth child of Queen Victoria, further cementing the Campbell family’s ties with royalty. According to the 2010 census, Campbell is the 47th most common surname in the United States today.
Nguyen
In Vietnam, as much as 40% of the country’s population has the surname Nguyen. This incredibly high percentage is likely due to the Vietnamese tradition of showing loyalty to a leader by taking that leader’s family name. The Nguyen dynasty, which ruled Vietnam from 1802 to 1945, was the very last Vietnamese dynasty, which largely accounts for the surname’s extreme popularity in Vietnam. In the U.S., an estimated 2.3 million people identified as Vietnamese as of 2023, which helps explain why Nguyen is the 38th most-common surname in America. So, anyone with the last name Nguyen is linked, at least in name, with the Nguyen dynasty — although the chances of a direct bloodline are slim.
Spencer
The surname Spencer has been in use since at least the mid-13th century. It comes from the word “dispenser,” meaning “steward” — which in itself can be a court title or position. Then there’s the Spencer family, which was elevated to the English nobility by James I in 1603. Since then, there have been many lords, ladies, and earls from the Spencer line, and the family frequently moved in royal circles. Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire (1757–1806) had an informal but influential role advising King George IV, and also developed a friendship with the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. Two of the most prominent figures of the 20th century also came from the Spencer family tree: Winston Churchill and Diana, Princess of Wales, the first Spencer to marry directly into the royal family.
