236 Fancy Last Names: With Origins and Meanings

If you’ve ever been curious about the world’s most fancy last names, whether from old money, new wealth, or royal lines, this is the list for you.

We’ve gone back generations to find the most sophisticated, rich last names for your interest. Our extensive list of over 200 fancy last names will break down the meaning and origin of each.

Are you ready to get the facts? Keep reading, and let’s delve into the exciting world of the rich and famous.

In This Article

Rich Last Names Worldwide
Wealthy French Last Names
Nouveau Riche Last Names
Old Money Last Names
Royal Last Names
Rich-Sounding Character Last Names
FAQs on Rich Last Names

10 Rich Last Names From The World’s Wealthiest

Here are ten rich last names from the world’s wealthiest non-royal families.

Ambani – of Indian Sanskrit origin, meaning “(of the) mother goddess,” associated with India’s wealthy Ambani family.
Arnault – with French Germanic roots, meaning “eagle power.” France’s Arnault family gained wealth selling luxury goods.
Bettencourt – associated with L’Oréal’s founder, stemming from a noble Norman French family, meaning “farm courtyard.”
Cargill – a Scottish surname associated with the Cargill-MacMillans, descendants of the American businessman William Cargill.
Hermès – with French Greek origin, meaning “from the desert waste/the cairn,” associated with luxury goods.
Koch – means “cook” in German, associated with the affluent American Koch family.
Mars – from the Latin “mas,” meaning “male.” The Mars family built their empire on chocolate candies.
Slim -from the Arabic Salim (safe), tied to the Mexican-Lebanese business magnate Carlos Slim Helú.
Walton – the Old English pairing of “forest, spring, farmworker, foreigner” and “town,” associated with Walmart’s founders.
Wertheimer – a habitational Jewish surname for someone from Wertheim. The French Wertheimer family co-founded Coco Chanel.

33 Rich Last Names From France

Here are 32 fancy French last names.

Bancel – first found in Champagne in France, associated with Moderna’s CEO, Stéphane Bancel.
Beaufour – an Old French habitational surname meaning “fine beech,” belonging to a French billionaire family.
Beauvalot – from the French “beau” (fine, handsome), associated with the French billionaire heiress Marie Besnier Beauvalot.
Bellon – from the French word “beau” (fine/handsome), also a Spanish word for “sheepskin fleece.”
Besnier – of uncertain meaning, associated with the billionaire founders of the dairy products corporation Lactalis.
Bolloré – a Breton-derived surname meaning “laurel bush,” with successful businessmen and CEOs as notable namesakes.
Bouygues – a rare surname of uncertain meaning, tied to the Bouygues family and their engineering group.
Carmignac – a rare surname of unknown meaning, associated with founder and entrepreneur Edouard Carmignac.
Cayard – a French billionaire family, with under 300 bearers worldwide and an uncertain meaning.
Dassault – an Old French surname meaning “from the grove copse/willow,” belonging to the Dassault Group.
Decaux – for someone from Gascoigne or Pays de Caux. “Caux” means “lime/calcium carbonate” in Norman.
de Lacharrière – from Prissé-la-Charrière, a former commune in western France, and associated with Marc de Lacharrière.
Dentressangle – an extremely rare surname associated with a major transportation and freight magnate, Norbert Dentressangle.
De Peyster – is of Dutch origin, with uncertain meaning; the De Peysters were wealthy merchants and politicians.
Drahi – a variant of Jewish German Dreyfus(s), meaning “three feet,” and an Israeli-French billionaire.
Du Pont – the old money Du Ponts, and a French surname meaning “of/from the bridge.”
Edelstenne – a French Germanic surname meaning “precious/noble stone,” associated with Charles Edelstenne of Dassault Group.
Feuillet – a diminutive of Old French “feuil” from the Latin “folia,” meaning “page, leaf (of a book).”
Fraisse – a variant of the French word for “strawberry,” belonging to French billionaire Bernard Fraisse.
Ginestet – a surname from Ginestet in southwestern France associated with French billionaire Philippe Ginestet.
Junique – of uncertain meaning, but known for Laurent Junique, a French billionaire CEO.
Latouche – from French for “touched,” given to someone from La Touche; associated with billionaire Christian Latouche.
Leclercq – a variant of the French Leclerc meaning “the clerk,” from billionaires Michel Leclercq and son.
Le Duff – from the Breton “du” (black), for someone with black hair; tied to billionaire founder Louis Le Duff.
Martin – often associated with Gilles and Yves-Loic Martin, the most common surname in France.
Mérieux – a rare French surname of uncertain meaning, from the Mérieux entrepreneurial dynasty from Lyon.
Niel – an Anglicization of the Irish Niall, meaning “champion,” from the wealthy French businessman, Xavier Niel.
Perrodo – a rare surname of uncertain meaning, associated with the billionaire Perrodo family.
Pinault – a diminutive of “pin” (pine), or habitational surname from Le Pineau, associated with François-Henri Pinault.
Pomel – from Middle English and Old French, meaning “ball, knob,” from the Latin “pōmum” meaning “apple.”
Puech – from Occitan “puèg” (hill/mountain/mound), associated with Nicolas Puech, a French billionaire heir.
Richelieu – means “wealthy place” from the town of Richelieu, also a French duke.
Saadé – a variant of a nickname from Old French “sadé” (gracious, gentle), from Latin “sapidus” (savory).

28 Fancy Last Names of the Nouveau Riche

With less than three generations of wealth, here are 28 fancy surnames from nouveau riche.

Altrad – means “the traveler/merchant” or “horse rider” in Arabic from the French-Syrian billionaire Mohed Altrad.
Bazhayev – a variant of a Chechen surname associated with Ziya Yusupovich Bazhayev, a Chechen-Russian oil trader.
Chaudhary – from an Indian hereditary title meaning “holder of four,” associated with Nepalese billionaire Binod Chaudhary.
Clinton – from Glympton, it pairs Old English “tūn” (settlement) and the river Glym.
Damani – an Indian given and surname from the Maheshwari Hindu caste or an ancient Gujarat tribe.
De Gasperis – an Italian surname from Gaspare, from Persian Kaspar (treasurer), associated with Alfredo De Gasperis.
Fenty – from the town of Fenton in Northern England, famously associated with Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Greenberg – from German “grün” meaning “green,” and “berg,” meaning “mountain,” associated with the founders of Skechers.
Greiner – a nickname from the Germanic “grīner” (squabbler/quarreler) from American TV personality Lori Greiner.
Hartono – a Javanese patronymic for descendants of Harto (wealth/property), associated with Indonesian billionaire, Robert Hartono.
Haselsteiner – possibly from German “hasel” (hazel) and “steiner” (stoneworker/miner), associated with Austrian industrialist Hans Haselsteiner.
Helu – an Arabic surname meaning “sweet, pretty,” noted for the wealthy Slim Helú family.
Hoffmann – is Middle High German for “farm-man/steward,” from the Hoffman-Oeris and the German-American Hoffmanns.
Kamprad – a Swedish variant of German Kamerad (comrade), associated with IKEA founder, Ingvar Kamprad.
Kwok – a variant of Chinese 郭 “guō” (city wall), associated with Hong Kong’s billionaire Kwok family.
Latner – from Middle English “latoun” (brass) for a latten/brass maker, associated with Canada’s Latner family.
Marinho – from a given name meaning “of Mars” (the god), associated with Brazilian businessman Roberto Marinho.
Piëch – a Slavic, Polish, and Czech diminutive of Piotr (rock), belonging to Louise Porsche’s husband, Anton Piëch.
Rahimkulov – is Uzbek for “son of Rahim,” belonging to Russian billionaire Mikhail Nikolaevich Rahimkulov.
Ramsay – from the Old English “hramsa-eg” (garlic island); a Scottish clan and famous chef Gordon Ramsay.
Reyes – is Spanish for “kings,” a title for the Virgin Mary and from the Reyes brothers.
Salteri – an Italian surname for a salt seller/producer, associated with Australian businessman Carlo Salteri.
Sarkisov – means “son of Serkis,” from Armenian Serkis (servant) and the self-made billionaire Sergei Sarkisov.
Schaeffler – a variant of the German surname Schäffler, meaning “cooper,” associated with Germany’s Schaeffler family.
Sy – a Filipino form of the Chinese Li (plum tree/plum) or Shi (stone).
Taravella – from the Italian “taravella,” a nickname meaning “crooked/deformed limb,” belonging to billionaire Alain Taravella.
Templeton – of English origin, meaning “temple town,” associated with the banker and philanthropist Sir John Templeton.
Van Damme – is a Belgian town meaning “from Damme” (the dam), belonging to billionaire Alexandre Van Damme.

135 Sophisticated Old Money Last Names

Here are 136 fantastic multigenerational old money last names.

Acton – is Old English for “oak tree settlement/town,” associated with Lord Acton and his family.
Agnelli – is Italian for “lambs,” from the landowning and manufacturing Agnelli dynasty.
Albrecht – a German form of Albert (noble and bright), associated with an aristocratic Austrian dynasty.
Al-Sharbatly – a rare Arabian surname associated with the multigenerational wealth of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Sharbatly family.
Astor – of German French origin, from Occitan “astor, astur” (goshawk/hawk), associated with the Astor family.
Bardi – is Italian, from the Spanish nickname and surname Bardo (bard), associated with the House of Bardi.
Baring – a habitational surname from Baro meaning “man,” tied to the German and British Barings.
Bass – an English surname from the Latin “bassus” (thick/low), associated with the Bass family.
Bayard – a literary name from the Old French “baiart” (bay-colored), tied to the prominent Bayard family.
Beauclerk – of Anglo-Norman origin, meaning “fine scholar,” associated with the English House of Beauclerk.
Bechtel – is German, from a diminutive of Bech (stream/brook), from the billionaire Bechtel family.
Bentinck – a Dutch patronymic from the Germanic Bent(o) (bear), associated with the noble Bentinck family.
Birla – of Indian origin and uncertain meaning, associated with generations of the wealthy Birla family.
Boehringer – a German surname from the place name Böhringen, associated with Albert Boehringer and family.
Bombardier – a French surname meaning “good friend/companion” from the Canadian inventor Joseph-Armand Bombardier.
Borghese – is Italian from “borghése” (burgher/inhabitant of a fortified town), associated with the noble Borghese family.
Borgia – is Italian and Spanish, denoting someone from Borja, from the Arabic “burj” (tower) associated with House Borgia.
Brenninkmeijer – from the German “brenner” (burner), for someone who distilled spirits, belonging to the Brenninkmeijer family.
Busch – a Germanic surname for someone living by a “bush, copse,” associated with a brewing magnate.
Cabot – an Anglo-Norman diminutive of the nickname “cap” (head), associated with the Boston Brahmin Cabot family.
Cambell – a variant of the Scottish Campbell meaning “crooked mouth,” associated with a family of English baronets.
Carnegie – is Scottish for “fort at the gap,” tied to a Scottish clan and a prominent American family.
Cecil – is Welsh, from the Latin Sextilius or Sextus (sixth), connected to the prominent Cecil family.
Chandler – an English surname from Old French meaning “candle seller/maker,” associated with a publishing family.
Charteris – a Scottish surname from Latin meaning “the Carnutes,” associated with several noble Scottish families.
Chearavanont – a Sino-Thai surname of uncertain meaning, associated with the billionaire Thai Chearavanont family.
Chichester – from Chichester, Sussex, combining the Old English Cissa and “ceaster” (Roman fort), associated with landowning earls.
Chirathivat – a Thai surname of uncertain meaning, associated with the billionaire Sino-Thai Chirathivat family.
Cooper – from Middle English “couper” for a “barrel/cask maker,” associated with baronets.
Coors – a variant of the German Kuhrs (tower watchman), associated with a wealthy brewing and business family.
Corbin – from the French “corbeau” (raven), denoting dark hair and a wealthy Virginian first family.
Coventry – from the Old English Cofa and “treow” (tree), tied to the aristocratic Coventry dynasty.
Cox – of English and Welsh origins, possibly meaning “rooster,” “mound, hill,” “red,” or “little.”
Cushing – an English variant of the surname Cousin and an Americanized spelling of French Cauchon, meaning “slipper.”
De’Longhi – is Italian for “the longs, talls, ancients,” associated with the billionaire manufacturing De’Longhi family.
De Mévius – from the Old Germanic Maffei, meaning “gift of Jehovah,” from Belgium’s wealthy de Mévius family.
De Spoelberch – is Dutch with uncertain meaning, associated with the Belgian noble House of Spoelberch.
De Vere – means “from Vere,” a French location, from Gaulish for “alder,” associated with the aristocratic de Veres.
Donnelley – an Anglicized Irish surname from Gaelic Ó Donnghaile, meaning “descendant of Donnghal.”
Doppelmayr – is German for “double mayor” or “steward of two,” associated with the millionaire Doppelmayr family.
Dorrance – possibly from the Gaelic “torran,” meaning “hillock, little hills,” tied to the American-Irish Dorrance family.
Erskine – a Scottish and aristocratic clan, possibly from Gaelic for “projecting height.”
Este – a Finnish French variant of Esther (star), related to the European noble House of Este.
Ferrero – is Italian and Spanish meaning “(iron) smith,” associated with Italy’s Ferrero family.
FitzRoy – an Anglo-Norman patronymic meaning “son of the king,” an English aristocratic house.
Forbes – from the Scottish Gaelic “forbais,” meaning “(at the) field, land,” associated with the Forbes publishing family.
Ford – from Old English “ford” (river crossing), tied to the multigenerational billionaire Ford family.
Fugger – is Austrian for a sheep farmer or wool weaver, associated with the House of Fugger.
Gardiner – is English from the Old French “gardinier” (gardener/planter), associated with New England founder Lion Gardiner.
Getty – of Irish Gaelic origin meaning “hill,” “valley,” or “wind,” associated with the industrialist Getty family.
Goelet – a nickname for a glutton or topographic surname from the Old French “goulet” (gullet).
Goldman – a Jewish surname meaning “gold man” in German, denoting a goldsmith, and the owners of Goldman-Sachs.
Gondi – possibly an Italian or French patronym, associated with the noble Florentine Gondi family.
Graham – comes from a place called Grantham, meaning “gravel/gray/gloomy hamlet” in Old English.
Griswold – from the French “gris” (gray) or Old English “greosn” (gravel) and “weald” (wood).
Grosvenor – from Anglo-Norman “le grand veneur” (the master huntsman) becoming “le gros veneur” (the big/fat huntsman).
Haas – is German and Dutch from a nickname meaning “hare,” associated with the billionaire Haas family.
Harrison – a medieval English patronym meaning “son of Harry (Henry),” tied to Virginia’s landowning Harrison family.
Hartwick – possibly from German for “hardy” or Old English “heordewic” (dweller by a sheep farm).
Hasenfratz – from the German nickname “hasenfratze” (hare-faced), associated with the billionaire Hasenfratz family.
Hatton – of English, French, and Gaelic origins, meaning “heather settlement,” and also from Germanic “hadu” (battle).
Havemeyer – of German origin, associated with the wealthy German-American Havemeyer family.
Hay – a Scottish and English nickname, meaning “tall” and surname, meaning (dweller by an) “enclosure.”
Hearst – is English for (dweller by the) “wooded hill,” associated with the family who inspired HBO’s Succession.
Heineken – a Dutch German patronym meaning “son of little Hein,” associated with Heineken’s founder and descendants.
Henkel – from the Dutch Henk, a diminutive of Hendrik (home ruler), associated with the German Henkel family.
Herbert – is Germanic for “bright army” or “shining warrior,” associated with the aristocratic Herbert dynasty.
Hougen – a Norwegian name from Old Norse, “haugr” (hill/knoll), from the Yukon’s richest family.
Howard – from the Old Norse Hávarðr (high guardian/battle guard) or Middle English “ewehirde” (ewe herder).
Huntington – combines the Old English “hunta” (hunter) with “tun” (settlement) or “dun” (hill), belonging to three prominent families.
Innes-ker – means “island” and “one strength” in Scottish, associated with Scottish clans and the aristocratic Innes-Kers.
Johnson – an Anglo-Norman patronymic meaning “son of John,” and the founding owners of Johnson&Johnson.
Kemper – is German for a farmer or serf and Dutch for someone who grew hemp.
Ker – from Scottish and Middle English “kerr” (thicket/marsh), noted for the aristocratic Innes-Ker family.
Kristiansen – a Scandinavian patronymic meaning “son of Kristian,” associated with the Lego Company founders.
Kwek – a romanization of the Chinese 郭 “guō” (city wall) from the Singaporean billionaire Kwek family.
Lauder – from the Celtic Lauuedder, denoting a rapid river and a cognate of the Welsh “llifer” (to gush).
Lenox – from the Scottish Gaelic Leamhnachd, meaning “place of elm trees,” from the Scottish American Lenox dynasty.
Leon – is Spanish for “lion” with Greek roots, from Canada’s millionaire Leon family.
Livingston – is Scottish, pairing Leving and “toun” (town, settlement), associated with the aristocratic Scottish Livingston.
Lowell – from the French “lou” (wolf), meaning “little/young wolf,” belonging to the Boston Brahmin’s Lowell family.
Lumley – from the Old English “lum(m)” (pool) and “lēah” (woodland clearing), associated with the Lumely barons.
Manners – a Norman and Scottish Gaelic surname meaning “to reside,” tied to the aristocratic Manners family.
Maranghi – of Italian origin, with uncertain meaning, belonging to banking magnate Vincenzo Maranghi and his descendants.
Medici – an Italian surname and the plural of “medico” (doctor), from the aristocratic Medici family.
Mellon – with Irish Gaelic roots from “meall” (pleasant), associated with the wealthy Mellon family.
Milliken – from the Scottish and Irish patronymic Ó Maolagáin (descendant of Maolagán), from “maol” (bald).
Mittal – a Hindu Sanskrit surname meaning “friend, ally,” associated with the magnate Lakshmi Mittal.
Møller – a Danish surname for a “miller,” associated with the Møller shipping family.
Molson – possibly an Anglo-Scottish matronymic from Mary, associated with the Canadian Molson dynasty.
Montagu – a Norman location meaning “pointed/sharp mountain” in Old French, tied to the aristocratic House Montagu.
Morgan – from the Old Welsh Morcant combining “mor” (sea) and “cant” (circle) from the Morgan dynasty.
Newhouse – an English surname starting with N for someone inhabiting a “new house,” associated with America’s Newhouse family.
Ofer – means “fawn” in Hebrew associated with the Monaco-based billionaire magnate Eyal Ofer and his family.
Oppenheimer – a Jewish German surname for someone from Oppenheim, associated with the Oppenheimer mining family.
Paget – is Anglo-Norman for “little page (servant),” belonging to the aristocratic Anglo-Welsh Paget family.
Percy – an Anglo-Norman surname from the Old French “percehaie” (pierce hedge), associated with England’s House of Percy.
Pitcairn – a Scottish surname of Pictish-Gaelic origin, associated with the wealthy Scottish-American Pitcairn family.
Porsche – a German surname from Boris, meaning “short,” “wolf” or “snow leopard.”
Pritzker – a Ukrainian Jewish surname for someone from Pritski associated with a wealthy American family.
Pulitzer – a Hungarian German surname from a place called Pölitz/Pullitz (police), associated with the Pulitzer Prize.
Quandt – is Middle Low German for “prankster, joker,” associated with the industrial empire of Germany’s Quandt family.
Rausing – a rare Swedish surname combining “belonging to, from” and Raus (a parish in Sweden).
Reimann – a diminutive of the German Rheinmann, for someone from the Rhineland, meaning “rich counsel.”
Rockefeller – a German surname for someone from Rockenfeld, associated with America’s Rockefeller family.
Roosevelt – is Dutch for “rose field,” associated with New York’s wealthy Roosevelt family.
Rothschild – from the German “zum rothen Schild” (to the red shield), tied to the Rothschild family.
Rutherfurd – is Scottish, from the Old English “hriðerford” (cattle/ox ford), associated with America’s Rutherfurd family.
Sachs – denotes someone from Saxony, from the Germanic “sahsą” (knife), and co-founder of Goldman-Sachs.
Safra – is Jewish from Arabic for “yellow, gold” or Aramaic for “scribe,” associated with the gold-trading Safras.
Schermerhorn – a Dutch toponymic for “woodland clearing” or “fencer/forest horn,” associated with wealthy Dutch-American aristocrats.
Schröder – a Germanic surname meaning “tailor,” from the British ruling-class Schröder family.
Schuyler – a Dutch form of the German Schuler (scholar/student), associated with a wealthy landowning Dutch-American family.
Scripps – a nickname from the Middle English “scrip(pe)” (small bag/satchel), associated with the Scripps’ media conglomerate.
Seymour – an Anglo-Norman surname from St. Maur or from “sæ” (sea) and “mer” (lake), associated with country gentry.
Shaimiev – of Tatar or Turkic roots, associated with the Russian Shaimiev family.
Shea – an Anglicized Irish name meaning “fine, favorable, good,” tied to the billionaire Shea family.
Spencer – from the court title “dispenser” (steward) from the Middle English “spense” (larder/pantry), often British aristocrats.
Stanley – an English surname meaning “stone clearing” associated with the aristocratic Stanley family.
Stryker – a German occupational surname meaning “tester,” for someone who measured grain or cloth.
Stuyvesant – from Dutch, possibly meaning “drifting sand, sand dune,” associated with the landowning Stuyvesant family.
Sutherland – from Old Norse “suðrland,” meaning “southern land,” associated with the aristocratic Highland Scottish Clan Sutherland.
Talbot – is Anglo-Norman, possibly with Germanic roots, meaning “to destroy the message” or “bright and bold.”
Thomson – an English surname meaning “son of Thomas,” associated with Canada’s wealthy aristocratic Thomson family.
Thynne – from Old English “þynne” (thin) or the designation “of th’Inne,” associated with marquesses of Bath.
Van Cortlandt – is Dutch for “from the short land,” associated with the political Van Cortlandt dynasty.
Vanderbilt – from Dutch meaning “(dweller) by the low hill,” associated with America’s Vanderbilt family.
Van Leer – is Dutch and German, originally Von Löhr, meaning “from Lohr” or “from Valär (castle).”
Van Rensselaer – a Dutch surname meaning “from Renselaar,” associated with the landowning Dutch-American Van Rensselaer family.
Von Baumbach – a German surname meaning “from Baumbach” (tree stream), associated with Germany’s Von Baumbach family.
Wallenberg – a Swedish surname combining “wallen” (ramparts/walls) and “berg” (mountain).
Welser – a German surname for someone from Wels, associated with the patrician and merchant-banking Welsers family.
Wendel – from the Germanic element “wentil,” meaning a “Vandal,” associated with the fur-trading Wendel family.
Whitney – an Old English surname meaning “white island” from the prominent Whitney dynasty.
Winthrop – from the Old English “wine” (friend) and Old Norse “thorp” (settlement), associated with America’s Winthrop family.

20 Fancy Last Names From Royalty

Here are 20 fancy last names from royal families around the world.

Akinruntan – the surname of the Ugbo Kingdom of Nigeria’s royal family.
Al Saud – pairs the Arabic “aal” (family) and Su’ud (fortune), associated with Saudi Arabia’s trillionaire royal family.
Bonaparte – from the Italian “bona” (good) and “parte” (solution/match), associated with a European imperial and royal dynasty.
Bosonid – from Boso, medieval Germanic for “leader, nobleman,” a royal dynasty founded by Boso the Elder.
Bourbon – from Celtic and pre-Celtic “borb” (hot spring), associated with a French and Spanish royal house.
Bruce – an Anglo Norman name from a town in Normandy, associated with a Scottish clan and royal house.
Buckingham – an English surname meaning “water meadow,” from a former county seat associated with Buckingham palace.
Capet – from an Old French nickname meaning “little duck,” associated with a French royal dynasty.
Chakri – from Thailand’s ruling dynasty, also spelled Chakkri, referring to “chakra” and the trident Trishula.
Courtenay – is French for “from the court” and an Old French nickname, “court nes” (short nose).
Grimaldi – is Italian from Old German Grimwald (mask authority) associated with Monaco’s ruling house.
Habsburg – from High German Habichtsburg, meaning “hawk’s castle,” one of Europe’s most prominent royal dynasties.
Lancaster – from Loncastre, combining “lon” (a River Lune fort) and the Old English “ceaster” (city), associated with royalty.
Liechtenstein – from the Germanic “lieht” (bright) and “stein” (stone), associated with Liechtenstein’s hereditary monarchy.
MacAlpin – is Scottish for “son of Alpin,” from “alp” (lump), associated with a Gaelic king.
Mountbatten – from the town of Battenberg (Mount Batten), associated with a branch of the princely Battenbergs.
Thani – or Al Thanian, is an Arabic surname associated with Qatar’s ruling house.
Valois -a surname for someone residing in a valley, associated with a French royal house.
Wettin – a dynasty of German kings, prince-electors, and nobles from their ancestral castle near Wettin town.
Windsor – means “riverbank with a windlass,” or Old English for “windy slope/ridge,” Britain’s royal family.

10 Rich-Sounding Last Names for Characters

Here are ten fancy surnames perfect for characters.

Abercromby – from the Scottish Pictish Abarcrumbach (joining of rivers at a bend) or (mouth of the bendy river).
Canterbury – from Old English Cantwareburh, meaning “stronghold of the Kentish men,” denoting someone from Canterbury.
Carrington – an English surname and given name meaning “rocky settlement/town.”
Cavendish – associated with British nobility, from the Old English “Cafa/Cafna,” pairing “caf” (bold) and “edisc” (enclosure).
Davenport – from a Celtic cognate of the Middle Welsh “dafnu” (to trickle) and Old English “port” (market town).
De Grâce – is French for “of/from Grace,” given to someone from La Grâce in Marne.
FitzGerald – a dignified Irish patronymic of Norman origin, from Fitz (son of) and Gerald.
Hawthorne – from Old English, meaning “haw berry thorn bush,” associated with Salem’s Hawthorne family.
Kensington – from the Old English Cynesige, and the connective “-ing” and “tūn,” meaning “farmstead, town.”
Lavish – is English for “rich, luxurious,” and from the Hindu Sanskrit Lav, meaning “tiny, small particle.”

Rich Last Names FAQs

What Is the Fanciest Last Name?

One of the fanciest last names is the French De Grâce, which ultimately comes from a female given name meaning “grace.” Although not associated with a wealthy or influential family, French names are often considered elegant.

The Spanish and Italian surname Borgia is also quite refined, meaning “tower,” belonging to a prominent noble family.

Finally, the Anglo-Normal Grosvenor is one of the more modern-day old-money last names. It originally meant “the master hunter” and is associated with members of Britain’s peerage ⁽¹⁾.

What Are Vintage Rich Surnames?

Astor and Clinton are vintage rich surnames associated with rich and powerful U.S. families.

Clinton is of Old English origin, while Astor is derived from Occitan.

Clinton is considered a strong and masculine classic surname ⁽²⁾. Among classic rich last names, Astor is considered upper class and a bit unusual ⁽³⁾.

What Is a Good Royal Last Name?

Tudor is a strong and recognizable royal surname tied to the Welsh and English noble dynasties that held the English throne.

It is the Romanian form of Theodore, meaning “gift of God,” and an Anglicization of the medieval Welsh Tudur, possibly from the Celtic surname Toutorīxs, meaning “ruler of the people.”

Is Lavish a Last Name?

Lavish is one of the rarer fancy last names. With under 300 bearers worldwide, it’s mainly found in Iran and the United States ⁽⁴⁾. Lavish appears to be a contemporary surname.

What Are Old Money Names?

Old money names or surnames of the rich and powerful are given or passed down through generations, usually three or more.

These are indicators of a person’s connection to a legacy and carry a certain weight and refinement. Today, the old money style or aesthetic is known for an atmosphere of “quiet luxury.”

What Is the Oldest Rich Family?

The Rothschild family has one of modern history’s oldest and wealthiest family legacies ⁽⁵⁾. They held the largest private fortune in the world in the 19th-century, though their documented history started in Frankfurt in the 16th-century. The Rothschilds acquired their fortune as a banking family who retained their power and status for about 200 years ⁽⁶⁾.

What Last Name Means Rich and Powerful?

Richelieu, Arnault, Grimaldi, and Lavish are all last names that mean rich and powerful.

The French Richelieu is a habitational surname meaning “wealthy place,” while the English Lavish means “rich and luxurious.”

Arnault is a Germanic and French surname meaning “eagle power,” while the Italian Grimaldi means “mask/helmet power” (authority, powerful face).

What Is the Japanese Royal Family’s Surname?

The Japanese Imperial family does not have a surname or any kind of family name.

Instead, members of the Japanese royal family receive a given name and possibly a nickname granted by the Emperor ⁽⁷⁾. The Emperor himself posthumously takes the name of the era in which he ruled ⁽⁸⁾.

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