Royal surnames are strange things. Most working royals do not need one at all, and the names on record often turn out to be a hill, a river, or somebody’s nickname rather than a grand title.
Here are 100 royal last names from across the world, with their origins, meanings, pronunciations, and the families who carried them. Some are still worn by ruling houses today. Others died out with the duchies they belonged to.
Where a name is also given to American babies, the ranking comes from U.S. Social Security Administration data (1), which leaves out any name given to fewer than five babies in a year. The rarest names here have no federal figure at all.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Spencer, King, Royal, Bruce and Stanley.
100 Beautiful Royal Last Names
Take a seat on the throne and find your favorites among royal last names throughout history.
Abdulaziz
Abdulaziz pairs the Arabic abdul, meaning servant, with aziz, meaning exalted. It is written Abd al-Aziz as often as not, and it is the surname the Saudi Arabian royal family uses today. Muqrin bin Abdulaziz served as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in 2015, and Salman bin Abdulaziz was prime minister from 2015 to 2022. It has also turned up in U.S. baby-name data, ranking 2,718th in 2025 with 47 babies given the name that year.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Servant of the giver
- Pronunciation: Aab-DUWL-ah-Zeez
- Variations: Abd al-Aziz
- Namesakes: Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from January to April 2015. Salman bin Abdulaziz, the prime minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022.
- Popularity: Abdulaziz ranked 2,718th among U.S. baby names in 2025, when 47 babies were given it. Its strongest showing in the federal data came in 2015, at 1,599th.
Agilolfings
The Agilolfings ruled the Duchy of Bavaria from 550 until 788, more than two centuries in power. The name also appears as Agilofing, a genuine mouthful of consonants either way. No modern popularity figures exist for it, so it may well have died out alongside the duchy.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Bavarian noble family
- Pronunciation: Ah-gih-LAUL-fihngs
- Variations: Agilofing
Alawo
Alawo means born into royalty in Yoruba, which is about as direct as a royal surname gets. It also appears as Alawi, the surname of the Moroccan royal dynasty, though the link between the two is not settled. Nigerian families use it far more than anyone else, and Yoruba speakers hear the rank in it immediately.
- Origin: Nigerian, Yoruba
- Meaning: Born into royalty
- Pronunciation: Aa-laa-WOH
- Variations: Alawi
- Popularity: Alawo is very rare worldwide and mostly used in Nigeria.
Al Hashim
Al Hashim marks a member of the Arabic Banu Hashim clan. The name means crusher or breaker, and it began as the nickname of Muhammad’s great-grandfather, who crumbled bread to feed Islamic pilgrims. That image, a man breaking loaves apart by hand, is a good deal warmer than the word crusher suggests. The name stayed tied to the Prophet’s own bloodline long before it spread more widely.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Crusher
- Pronunciation: Ahl-haa-SHEEM
- Variations: Al Hashimi
- Popularity: Al Hashim is rare worldwide and mainly used in Lebanon, where it ranked 289th in 2014.
Al Maktoum
The House of Maktoum has ruled the Emirate of Dubai as one of the six ruling families of the United Arab Emirates. They descend from the Bani Yas clan, and Maktoum itself means the one who establishes or consolidates. Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum held the emirate from 1990 to 2006. Say it aloud and the weight lands hard on that final syllable.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: The establishing one
- Pronunciation: Ahl-maak-TUUM
- Variations: Maktoum
- Namesakes: Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai from 1990 to 2006.
- Popularity: Al Maktoum is very rare worldwide and primarily used in Saudi Arabia.
Alpin
Alpin reaches back to the Scottish clans of Dalriada and to Alpin, the first King of Scots. Seven Scottish clans take their name from him, and their shared surname often points to people living in the mountains. Alpín, son of Uuroid, ruled the Picts from 775 until 778. The spelling Alpine gives it a softer, more scenic look without losing the royal thread.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Son of the blond one
- Pronunciation: AHL-pihn
- Variations: Alpine
- Namesakes: Alpín, son of Uuroid, king of the Picts from 775 until 778.
- Popularity: Alpin is very rare worldwide, mainly used in Indonesia, and ranked 1,941st in Guyana in 2014.
Arlay
The French royal house of Arlay branched off the House of Ivrea under John I. The name means meadow, and it belongs to a commune in eastern France as well as to the family. Two soft syllables make it look far newer on paper than its medieval roots suggest.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Meadow
- Pronunciation: Ahr-LAEY
- Variations: Arley
- Popularity: Arlay is extremely rare worldwide, with 132 known occurrences in 2014, primarily in the Philippines.
Artois
The Artois family descends from King Louis VIII and has carried the surname since the mid-13th century. It means bear in Breton-French and names a region of northern France, so the word works as a title and a map reference at once. You will also meet it as D’Artois or De Artois. The stress falls on the second syllable, and the final s stays silent.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Bear
- Pronunciation: Ar-TWAA
- Variations: D’Artois, De Artois
- Popularity: Artois is very rare worldwide, mostly used in Belgium, and ranked 194th in Saint Pierre and Miquelon in 2014.
Augustenburg
Augustenburg is the royal-sounding A surname attached to a branch of the German house of Oldenburg, a family whose reach also took in Norway, Russia, and Denmark. It comes from Augustus, meaning esteemed in Latin. Christian August II, Duke of Augustenburg, was a 19th-century Danish and German prince of Schleswig and Holstein. Only three known bearers turned up in the U.S. as of 2014, which says as much about the surname’s fate as its length does.
- Origin: German, Latin
- Meaning: Esteemed
- Pronunciation: Aw-GUHS-stehn-Behrg
- Variations: Augustenborg
- Popularity: Augustenburg is extremely rare worldwide, with just three known occurrences in 2014, in the U.S.
- Namesakes: Christian August II, Duke of Augustenburg, a 19th-century Danish/German prince of Schleswig and Holstein.
Baldwins
Baldwins puts together the German bald, meaning bold, and wine, meaning friend. Nobles in England and Ireland carried it long before Hollywood did, though the acting family is who most people picture now. That plural s gives it a family-crest feel plain Baldwin lacks.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: Brave friend
- Pronunciation: BAALD-wihns
- Variations: Baldwin
- Popularity: Baldwins is extremely rare worldwide, with just three known occurrences in 2014, in Australia, the Dominican Republic, and the U.S.
Banfi
Banfi belongs to a Croatian commune that took its name from the Banfi nobles, who ruled near the Croatian and Slovenian border in the 17th century. The word traces to the Croatian banffy, meaning hills. Emilio Banfi competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics, and Karina Banfi has served as an Argentine National Deputy since 2015. Split between Croatia and Italy, it has spent centuries answering to two different accents.
- Origin: Croatian, Italian
- Meaning: Hills
- Pronunciation: BAAN-fiy
- Namesakes: Emilio Banfi, an Italian track and field athlete who competed at the 1900 Summer Olympics. Karina Banfi, the Argentine National Deputy since 2015.
- Popularity: Banfi is rare worldwide and mainly used in Italy, ranking 801st in 2014.
Barclay
Barclay may read as English, but it is built from the French beau, meaning beautiful, and leigh, meaning meadow. The line goes back to Roger de Berchelai, who arrived in England with William the Conqueror in 1066, and the name also marks someone from Berkeley in Gloucestershire. Liz Barclay broadcasts for the BBC, and Edwin Barclay was the 18th president of Liberia from 1930 until 1944. Barclaye is the older-looking spelling if the plain form feels too much like the bank.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Beautiful meadow
- Pronunciation: BAAR-Klee
- Variations: Barclaye
- Namesakes: Liz Barclay, a Northern Irish broadcaster for the BBC. Edwin Barclay, the 18th president of Liberia from 1930 until 1944.
- Popularity: Barclay last appeared in the U.S. baby-name data in 2021, at 10,950th, given to six babies that year. Its best rank came in 1948 at 1,562nd, and about 954 American babies have received it in all.
Berenguer
Berenguer runs back to the Middle Ages, when the family held noble rank in France, Germany, and Italy. The name means bear in German and first appeared in Latin as Berengarius. Dámaso Berenguer was prime minister of Spain from 1930 to 1931, and Casimiro Berenguer was a Puerto Rican nationalist with the Cadets of the Republic. The sound is hard to place at first listen, which is a fair part of the appeal.
- Origin: French, German
- Meaning: Bear
- Pronunciation: BEH-rehn-Gehr
- Variations: Berengueras
- Namesakes: Casimiro Berenguer, a Puerto Rican nationalist with the Cadets of the Republic. Dámaso Berenguer, the prime minister of Spain from 1930 to 1931.
- Popularity: Berenguer is rare worldwide and mostly used in Spain, where it ranked 630th in 2014.
Bolkiah
The House of Bolkiah is the royal family of Brunei Darussalam, descended from Sultan Muhammad Shah. He was also called Nakhoda Ragam, meaning singing captain in Malay, which is a wonderful thing to be remembered by. Hassanal Bolkiah has been Sultan of Brunei since 1967 and prime minister since 1984, while Jefri Bolkiah served as finance minister from 1986 to 1997.
- Origin: Malay
- Meaning: Sultan of Brunei
- Pronunciation: BOHL-kee-Ah
- Namesakes: Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei since 1967 and the prime minister of Brunei since 1984. Jefri Bolkiah, a Brunei royal and finance minister from 1986 to 1997.
- Popularity: Bolkiah is extremely rare worldwide, with 168 known occurrences in 2014, mainly in Indonesia.
Borghese
Borghese comes from the French bourgeois, meaning free man, an unusually democratic root for a noble house. The family carried real weight in Italy from the 16th through the 19th centuries. Scipione Borghese won the 1907 Peking to Paris race, and Lorenzo Borghese turned up on the ninth season of The Bachelor. Three syllables, every vowel open, and it rolls.
- Origin: Italian, French
- Meaning: Free man
- Pronunciation: Bohr-GEH-see
- Variations: Borgesio
- Namesakes: Lorenzo Borghese, an Italian-American businessman appearing on the ninth season of The Bachelor. Scipione Borghese, an Italian aristocrat and winner of the 1907 Peking to Paris race.
- Popularity: Borghese is very rare worldwide and primarily used in Italy.
Bourbon
The Bourbon dynasty ruled France from the 16th through the 18th centuries as descendants of King Louis IX. The name belongs to a village in Allier, with other places called Le Bourbon scattered across the south of France. De Bourbon is the fuller court form. American readers will hear the whiskey first, which is either a drawback or the entire charm.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Of Bourbon, France
- Pronunciation: BUHR-bann
- Variations: De Bourbon
- Popularity: Bourbon is rare worldwide and primarily used in France, ranking 964th in 2014.
Bruce
Bruce belongs to a Scottish royal family with French roots, and two kings of Scotland carried it. The name traces to Bruis or Brix, a Norman castle in France, and means of Braose. Jack Bruce played in the rock band Cream, and Ken Bruce presented for BBC Radio 2. It works without changes as either a first name or a surname, which keeps genealogies simple.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Of Braose
- Pronunciation: BRUWS
- Variations: Bruis
- Namesakes: Jack Bruce, a Scottish musician and member of the rock band Cream. Ken Bruce, a Scottish radio presenter with BBC Radio 2.
- Popularity: Bruce ranked 536th among U.S. baby names in 2025, given to 558 babies. It peaked in 1951 with 14,090 births and reached its best rank, 25th, in 1952.
Burgundy
The House of Burgundy ruled France from the 10th to the 15th centuries, ending with Philip de Burgundy. Beyond the deep red color, Burgundy names a province in eastern France. Anton Eshon Hairston records as Eshon Burgundy and released Blood Rushing to My Head in 2012. Bourgogne is the French spelling for anyone who finds the color association too strong.
- Origin: French, Latin
- Meaning: Dark red
- Pronunciation: BUUR-guhn-Dee
- Variations: Bourgogne
- Namesakes: Anton Eshon Hairston (known as Eshon Burgundy), an American Christian hip-hop musician known for the 2012 album Blood Rushing to My Head.
- Popularity: Burgundy last appeared in the U.S. baby-name data in 2014, at 14,914th, given to six babies. Its best rank was 4,707th in 1994, and about 277 American babies have received it in total.
Byron
Like a good many royal surnames, Byron is topographical: it means of Byram in Yorkshire, or more plainly, the place by the cowsheds. A cowherd, in other words, which is a long way from the man who made the name famous. Lord Byron, the English nobleman and poet, is who most people picture. Fergal Byron played Gaelic football for Laois, and William D. Byron represented Maryland in Congress from 1939 to 1941.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: At the cowsheds
- Pronunciation: BAEY-ruhn
- Namesakes: Fergal Byron, an Irish Gaelic footballer for Laois. William D. Byron, U.S. Congressman for Maryland from 1939 to 1941.
- Popularity: Byron ranked 981st among U.S. baby names in 2025, with 233 births. Its best rank was 196th in 1967, and use has fallen about a third over the past decade compared with the decade before.
Cambridge
Cambridge first described people living near the river Cam, and the town took its name the same way. Prince William’s children have used Cambridge as a surname, since one of his titles is Duke of Cambridge. Asuka Cambridge took sprint silver at the 2016 Olympic Games, and the opera singer Alyson Cambridge won the Régine Crespin Award in 2008. It is rare in the American baby-name data too, last appearing at 12,542nd in 2023 with five births total.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Of Cambridge
- Pronunciation: KAEYM-Brihj
- Namesakes: Asuka Cambridge, a Jamaican-Japanese track and field sprinter and silver medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games. Alyson Cambridge, an American opera singer who won the Régine Crespin Award at the 2008 Elardo International Opera Competition.
- Popularity: Cambridge is scarce in the U.S. baby-name data, last listed in 2023 at 12,542nd with five births. It first appeared in 2002 and reached its best rank, 7,217th, in 2016.
Carafa
Carafa began in Naples and rests on the Italian caraffa, meaning carafe or jug, so it may well have started as an occupational name. Caraffa is the fuller spelling. Tony Carafa played Australian rules football for the Fitzroy Football Club. That domestic, workaday origin for a noble name is exactly what makes it likable.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Carafe jug
- Pronunciation: Kaa-RAA-fah
- Variations: Caraffa
- Namesakes: Tony Carafa, an Australian rules footballer for the Fitzroy Football Club.
- Popularity: Carafa is very rare worldwide and primarily used in Italy.
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family named for Charlemagne, known as Charles the Great. Its root is Carolus, the Latin form of Charles, and the older variant Carlovingians shows the same word wearing different clothes. It reads more like a period of history than a surname, which in fairness is how most people meet it.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Descendents of Charles
- Pronunciation: Kaa-rah-LIHN-gee-Ahn
- Variations: Carlovingians
- Popularity: Carolingian is extremely rare worldwide, with just one known occurrence in 2014 in the U.S.
Charlemagne
Charlemagne means Charles the Great, the title given to the Frankish king who became holy Roman emperor. He is probably the best-known ruler anywhere on this list. As a modern name it is unapologetically grand, and there is no shortening it without losing the point.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Charles the Great
- Pronunciation: SHAAR-leh-Maeyn
- Popularity: Charlemagne ranked 8,376th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with nine births, matching its highest yearly count on record. It first entered the data in 1974, and use is up about a third on the previous decade.
Cobenzl
Cobenzl honors a noble family from Carinthia in Austria whose influence reached into what is now Slovenia. They date to the 13th century, and the von Cobenzl form shows the noble particle plainly. Almost nobody carries the name today.
- Origin: German, Austrian
- Meaning: Austrian noble family
- Pronunciation: Kow-BEHN-zuhl
- Variations: von Cobenzl
- Popularity: Cobenzl is extremely rare worldwide, with 31 known occurrences in 2014 in Croatia.
Cromwell
Cromwell describes someone from Cromwell in Nottinghamshire, and it joins the Old English crumb, meaning bent, to well, meaning spring. Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England from 1653 to 1658, is the association nobody escapes. The oceanographer Townsend Cromwell has a Pacific Ocean current named after him, a gentler sort of legacy. That bent stream in the meaning is oddly literal for a name this loaded.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Crooked stream
- Pronunciation: KRAAM-wehl
- Namesakes: Oliver Cromwell, the English Lord Protector from 1653 to 1658. Townsend Cromwell, an American oceanographer who discovered the Cromwell current in the Pacific Ocean.
- Popularity: Cromwell has not appeared in the U.S. baby-name data since 1971, when five babies received it. Its best rank was 2,987th in 1914, and about 34 American babies have carried it in total.
Dassanowsky
Dassanowsky belonged to Polish nobles who ruled in Vienna in the 17th century, and it doubles as a village name. Leopold Dassanowsky directed the Imperial Court Postal Service in the 18th century. Dassanofsky and Dassanovsky are the alternate spellings, none of them common enough to register in popularity data.
- Origin: Polish
- Meaning: Village name
- Pronunciation: DAAS-ah-Noh-skee
- Variations: Dassanofsky, Dassanovsky
- Namesakes: Leopold Dassanowsky, the Polish Director of the Imperial Court Postal Service in the 18th-century.
Dlamini
Dlamini names an African clan spread across South Africa and Eswatini. Its first namesake was Dlamini I, also called Matalatala, who came from the Great Lakes Region of East Africa. Sotsha Dlamini was Prime Minister of Swaziland from 1986 to 1989, and Sindiswa Dlamini was crowned Miss Cultural Heritage 2016/2017. It is one of the few names here still in everyday use rather than kept in a history book.
- Origin: African, Bantu
- Meaning: African clan name
- Pronunciation: Dlaa-MEEN-iy
- Variations: Dhlamini
- Namesakes: Sindiswa Dlamini, a Swazi beauty pageant contestant crowned Miss Cultural Heritage 2016/2017. Sotsha Dlamini, the Prime Minister of Swaziland from 1986 to 1989.
- Popularity: Dlamini ranked 900th worldwide and is primarily used in South Africa, ranking number one in 2014.
Doukas
The Greek doukas and the Latin dux both mean leader or general, and the House of Doukas ruled as a Byzantine Greek noble family through the medieval era. Ektor Doukas painted with the Munich School, and a Byzantine historian named Doukas wrote under Constantine XI Palaiologos. Two syllables say exactly what the family did: they led.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Leader
- Pronunciation: DOO-kaas
- Variations: Dukas
- Namesakes: Ektor Doukas, a Greek painter of the Munich School known for impressionism. Doukas, a Byzantine Greek historian under Constantine XI Palaiologos.
- Popularity: Doukas is rare worldwide and primarily used in Greece, where it ranked 233rd in 2014.
Ernušt
Ernušt belonged to Hungarian-Jewish nobles who came from Vienna and later ruled in the Kingdom of Croatia in the 16th century. The name carries the sense of diligent and hardworking, a plain virtue for a noble house to claim. Vienna, Hungary, and Croatia all have a claim on it, which is a lot of ground for one short name.
- Origin: Hungarian
- Meaning: Hardworking
- Pronunciation: EHR-Noost
- Variations: Ernst
- Popularity: Ernušt is extremely rare worldwide, with just three known occurrences in 2014 in Canada, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
Estridsen
The House of Estridsen produced kings of Denmark from 1047 to 1412, plus three rulers in Sweden and one in Norway. It is named for Estrid Svendsdatter, a woman whose name shaped a dynasty of kings. The sen ending marks it as a patronymic in the Scandinavian pattern.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Divine beauty
- Pronunciation: Ehs-TRIHD-sehn
- Popularity: Estridsen is extremely rare worldwide, with just one known occurrence in 2014, in Norway.
Ferdinand
Ferdinand goes back to a Visigothic given name built from farthu, meaning journey, and nanths, meaning brave. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, whose assassination helped usher in World War I, is the historical anchor. Rio Ferdinand, an English footballer, now commentates for TNT Sports, and Kane Ferdinand plays for Maidenhead United. A name that reads as brave journey has plenty to live up to.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Brave
- Pronunciation: FEHR-dih-Naand
- Variations: Ferdinande, Ferdinnande
- Namesakes: Kane Ferdinand, an Irish footballer for Maidenhead United. Rio Ferdinand, an English footballer and TV commentator for TNT Sports.
- Popularity: Ferdinand ranked 4,294th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 24 births, well down from its best rank of 320th in 1914. It is climbing again, up about 18% on the previous decade.
Fouad
Fouad rests on the Arabic fū’ād, meaning heart, with a reach into mind and spirit as well. Two kings of Egypt carried it, which is why it reads as royal at all. Hala Fouad starred in The Barefoot Millionaire in 1987, and Yasmine Fouad has served as Egypt’s Minister of Environment since 2018. Use has slipped about 17% over the past decade, down to 9,177th in 2025 with eight births.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Heart
- Pronunciation: FUW-Ahd
- Variations: Fuad
- Namesakes: Hala Fouad, an Egyptian actress known for The Barefoot Millionaire (1987). Yasmine Fouad, the Egyptian Minister of Environment since 2018.
- Popularity: Fouad ranked 9,177th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with eight births, and its best rank was 3,338th back in 1984. Use has slipped about 17% on the previous decade.
Grimaldi
The Grimaldi family came out of 12th-century Genoa and reigns in Monaco to this day, with Albert II at its head. The name means bold or brave. Martina Grimaldi took distance-swimming bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and Dan Grimaldi appeared on The Sopranos. Bold has held up well as a family motto for a house that has lasted this long.
- Origin: Italian, German
- Meaning: Bold
- Pronunciation: Grih-MAAL-diy
- Variations: Grimaldo
- Namesakes: Martina Grimaldi, an Italian distance swimmer and bronze medalist at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Dan Grimaldi, an American actor appearing on the TV series The Sopranos.
- Popularity: Grimaldi is rare worldwide and is mostly used in Italy, ranking 142nd in 2014.
Grosvenor
Grosvenor traces to Hugh Le Grand Veneur, whose Norman-French family helped William the Conqueror in 1066. It means great hunter and connects to the Latin venator. Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor edited National Geographic from 1899 to 1954, and the Scottish playwright Catherine Grosvenor wrote Cherry Blossom in 2008. The spelling gives no clue to the pronunciation, which loses a whole syllable on the way out.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Master huntsman
- Pronunciation: GROWV-nehr
- Variations: Gravener
- Namesakes: Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, the first full-time editor of National Geographic magazine from 1899 to 1954. Catherine Grosvenor, a Scottish playwright known for the 2008 play Cherry Blossom.
- Popularity: Grosvenor is rare worldwide, mainly used in the U.S., and ranked 302nd in Barbados in 2014.
Gusić
Gušić links to the Slavic guska, meaning goose, and belonged to one of the twelve noble tribes of the Kingdom of Croatia from the 11th century. Ivan Gušić has been a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 1999, and the pianist Dora Gušić received the Vladimir Nazor Life Achievement Award in 1980. A goose is an unglamorous animal for a noble tribe to claim, which is half the reason the name sticks.
- Origin: Croatian, Slavic
- Meaning: Goose
- Pronunciation: GUW-Sich
- Variations: Gušić
- Namesakes: Ivan Gušić, a Croatian geologist and member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 1999. Dora Gušić, a Croatian pianist and recipient of the 1980 Vladimir Nazor Life Achievement Award.
- Popularity: Gusić is very rare worldwide and primarily used in the U.S.
Gustav
Gustav joins the Old Norse gutar, meaning goths, to stafr, meaning staff. Eight Swedish kings have worn some version of it, from Gustav Vasa in the 16th century to the current Carl XVI Gustaf. Gustave and Gustaf are the neighboring spellings, each with its own accent. Use is climbing again in the U.S. too, up about 31% over the past decade to 30 births in 2025.
- Origin: Swedish
- Meaning: Staff of the Geats (or Goths)
- Pronunciation: GUW-Staav
- Variations: Gustave, Gustaf
- Popularity: Gustav ranked 3,686th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 30 births, a long way from its best rank of 515th in 1913. It is climbing again, up about 31% on the previous decade.
Habsburg
Radbot of Klettgau stands at the head of the Habsburg line in the 10th century, and the family went on to shape much of Europe. Its name comes from Habsburg Castle in Switzerland, also called Hawk’s Castle. Von Habsburg is the formal version. For a dynasty of that reach, the meaning is refreshingly plain.
- Origin: Swiss
- Meaning: Hawk’s castle
- Pronunciation: HAABS-behrg
- Variations: Von Habsburg
- Popularity: Habsburg is extremely rare worldwide with 110 known occurrences in 2014 when it ranked 1,439th in Liechtenstein.
Hardrada
Hardrada was a title before it was a surname. Harald Sigurdsson, the 11th-century king of Norway, earned it as a byname meaning hard ruler. Nothing in the sound softens that. It is rare enough today that popularity data has nothing at all to say about it.
- Origin: Norse
- Meaning: Stern counsel
- Pronunciation: Haar-DRAA-dah
Harviala
Harviala covers more than one Finnish noble landowner based in the province of Vanaja. The village of Harviala sits near the Hiidenjoki River. It is a place name doing double duty, and the four syllables land soft and even.
- Origin: Finnish
- Meaning: Finnish royal clan
- Pronunciation: Haar-vih-AH-laa
- Popularity: Harviala is extremely rare worldwide, with 25 known occurrences in 2014, in Finland.
Henikstein
Henikstein is the surname for Jewish merchants who converted to Catholicism and rose into the Austrian nobility. In German, henik means brilliant and stein means stone, so the whole thing reads as a jewel. Von Henikstein marks the noble form. It is a rare case of a royal name describing an object rather than a place or an ancestor.
- Origin: Jewish-Austrian
- Meaning: Brilliant stone
- Pronunciation: HEH-nik-Staeyn
- Variations: von Henikstein
Herbert
Herbert relates to St. Haribert, archbishop of Cologne around the year 1000, and works as a given name in its own right. It joins the Germanic heri, meaning army, to berht, meaning bright. Brian Herbert wrote Man of Two Worlds in 1986, and Leon Herbert acted in Batman in 1989. Herb and Bert are both waiting inside it, which may be why it feels older than it is.
- Origin: French, German
- Meaning: Son of Herbert
- Pronunciation: HUHR-buhrt
- Namesakes: Brian Herbert, an American writer known for Man of Two Worlds (1986). Leon Herbert, an English actor known for Batman (1989).
- Popularity: Herbert ranked 2,656th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 49 births, far below the 25th place it held in 1928. It has fallen about 23% on the previous decade.
Hohenstaufen
The Hohenstaufen ruled within the Holy Roman Empire from 1138 until 1254. The name came into use in the 14th century for a high hill called Staufen, in the German town of Göppingen, with hohen meaning high and staufen meaning chalice. Staufen eventually replaced the longer version, which now has no known bearers at all. A dynasty that ran the Holy Roman Empire for over a century left behind a name almost nobody has to sign today.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: High chalice
- Pronunciation: Hoh-ehn-STAUW-fehn
- Variations: Staufen
Horn
Horn means the son of Horn, from an old personal name, and it also worked as an occupational name for someone who carved objects. Members of the Finnish monarchy carried it from the 1300s through the 1800s. Andrew Horn won a Teddy Award in 2004 for The Nomi Song, and Gyula Horn was Prime Minister of Hungary from 1994 to 1998. Carving, kingship, and a hunting horn all live inside four letters.
- Origin: Finnish, English
- Meaning: Son of Horn
- Pronunciation: HAWRN
- Variations: Horne
- Namesakes: Andrew Horn, an American producer and winner of the 2004 Teddy Award for The Nomi Song. Gyula Horn, the Prime Minister of Hungary from 1994 to 1998.
- Popularity: Horn is rare worldwide, primarily used in the U.S., and ranked 89th in Germany in 2014.
Howard
Howard connects to the German Hugihard, read as heart-brave or chief guardian. It also surfaced in Old English as Hayward and Hereward, and the Dukes of Norfolk have carried it for centuries. Traylor Howard appeared on Monk, and Daniel Edward Howard was the 16th president of Liberia from 1912 to 1920.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: High defender
- Pronunciation: HAU-Wuhrd
- Variations: Harward
- Namesakes: Traylor Howard, an American actress appearing on the series Monk. Daniel Edward Howard, the 16th president of Liberia, who served from 1912 to 1920.
- Popularity: Howard ranked 1,004th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 226 births. It reached 24th in 1919 and has held roughly steady over the past decade.
Kantakouzenos
The House of Kantakouzenos was a Greek noble family that ruled parts of the Byzantine Empire and gave it two emperors. Demetrios I Kantakouzenos governed the Morea in 1343, and Thomas Kantakouzenos served Despot Đurađ Branković as a general in the 15th century. The name has no settled meaning, which is unusual for a house this prominent. Even the shortened Kantakouzene asks a lot of a reader.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Byzantine royal family
- Pronunciation: KAAN-taa-KOUW-zeh-Nows
- Variations: Kantakouzene
- Namesakes: Demetrios I Kantakouzenos, a Byzantine governor of the Morea in 1343. Thomas Kantakouzenos, a 15th-century Byzantine-Serbian general who served Despot Đurađ Branković.
King
King comes from the Old English cyning, meaning tribal leader. It attached to people who played a king in a pageant, carried themselves regally, or worked in a royal household, so almost none of its bearers were royal at all. Larry King hosted television and collected ten Cable ACE Awards, and Stephen King has sold 350 million copies of his books. There is no subtlety to it, which is exactly why parents keep choosing it.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: The king
- Pronunciation: KIHNG
- Namesakes: Larry King, an American TV host and winner of 10 Cable ACE Awards. Stephen King, an American horror author who has sold 350 million copies.
- Popularity: King ranked 405th among U.S. baby names in 2025, with 786 births, and its best rank was 147th in 2017. Use is up about 83% on the previous decade.
Knýtlinga
The House of Knýtlinga ruled Denmark and England during the Middle Ages, and Cnut the Great is its most famous member. As a surname it seems to have died out entirely. It would need a note attached everywhere it is used today, since almost no one recognizes it on sight.
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: House of Cnut’s Descendants
- Pronunciation: KNEET-lihng-Gaa
Komnenos
Komnenos dates to the village of Komne in Thrace, known as the fields of Komnene. The family ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1081 to 1185, beginning with Manuel Erotikos Komnenos. Alexios II Komnenos was emperor from 1180 to 1183, and Isaac Doukas Komnenos held Cyprus from 1184 to 1191. Older histories Latinize it as Comnenus.
- Origin: Greek-Byzantine
- Meaning: Fields of Komnene
- Pronunciation: Kohm-NIY-nohs
- Variations: Comnenus
- Namesakes: Isaac Doukas Komnenos, the ruler of Cyprus from 1184 to 1191. Alexios II Komnenos, the Byzantine emperor from 1180 to 1183.
- Popularity: Komnenos is extremely rare worldwide, with just four known occurrences in 2014 in the U.S.
Kulinić
Kulinić points back to Kulin, the Byzantine ruler of Bosnia from 1180 to 1204, whose house then passed to his son. Stephen Kulinić was its last ruler, holding Bosnia from 1204 to 1232. Nobody has pinned down what the name means, and it is hardly used today.
- Origin: Bosnian
- Meaning: Unknown
- Pronunciation: KUW-lih-Nitch
- Variations: Kulinich, Kulynych
- Namesakes: Stephen Kulinić, the last ruler of the House of Kulinić in Bosnia from 1204 and 1232.
- Popularity: Kulinić is extremely rare worldwide, with just 14 known occurrences in 2014, primarily in Belarus.
Lekapenos
Lekapenos belonged to a Byzantine-Armenian family that married into the Macedonian dynasty in the 10th century, and the name is tied to the island of Lakape. Christopher Lekapenos was co-emperor from 921 to 931, and Constantine Lekapenos held the same office from 924 to 945. No popularity figures exist for it anywhere.
- Origin: Byzantine-Armenian
- Meaning: Of Lekape
- Pronunciation: Leh-KAA-pih-Nohs
- Variations: Lekapene
- Namesakes: Christopher Lekapenos, co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 921 to 931. Constantine Lekapenos, the Byzantine co-emperor from 924 to 945.
Lombards
Lombards traces to the Latin Langobardi and the Germanic Longobards, both meaning long beards. It also marks someone from Lombardy in Italy. The Lombards themselves were a Germanic tribe who ruled most of Italy from 568 to 774. It describes the facial hair of an entire people, and it still survives as a place name today.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Long beards
- Pronunciation: LOHM-baards
- Variations: Lombard
- Popularity: Lombards is extremely rare worldwide, with just ten known occurrences in 2014, mostly in South Africa.
Loredan
The House of Loredan was a Venetian family that peaked around 1100 CE. The name points to the town of Loreo and to the Latin Lauretum, meaning laurel, and so victory. Francesco Loredan served as the 116th Duke of Venice from 1752 to 1762, and Andrea Loredan commissioned the Ca’ Loredan Vendramin Calergi palace. Laurel and victory sitting in one root suits a family that helped run a republic.
- Origin: Italian, Latin
- Meaning: Victory
- Pronunciation: LOHR-eh-Dohn
- Variations: Loredano
- Namesakes: Francesco Loredan, the 116th Duke of Venice from 1752 to 1762. Andrea Loredan, a 15th-century Venetian nobleman who commissioned the Ca’ Loredan Vendramin Calergi palace.
- Popularity: Loredan is rare worldwide and mainly used in Italy.
Lorraine
Lorraine is best known as a region of France, first named for the kingdom of Lotharingia and its leader Lothar, whose name means famous army. Louise Lorraine acted in The Radio King in 1922, and Andrew Lorraine pitched for the California Angels. It has spent most of its life as a girl’s given name rather than a ruling house’s surname.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Famous army
- Pronunciation: Laa-REYN
- Variations: Lorrain
- Namesakes: Louise Lorraine, an American actress known for The Radio King (1922). Andrew Lorraine, an American baseball player for the California Angels.
- Popularity: Lorraine ranked 1,044th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 238 births, and it has climbed about 60% on the previous decade. Its best rank was 39th, back in 1928.
Lothbrok
Lothbrok carries more story than most names here, thanks to Ragnar Lothbrok, the Viking king who fought his way through the 9th century. His byname means hairy or shaggy breeches, a very ordinary detail to be remembered by for a thousand years. Lodbrok is the older spelling. If you need a name for a character who kicks in doors, this is the one.
- Origin: Scandinavian
- Meaning: Hairy-breeches
- Pronunciation: LOWTH-braak
- Variations: Lodbrok
- Popularity: Lothbrok is extremely rare worldwide with just four known occurrences in 2014, in Egypt.
Luitpolding
The Luitpolding family ruled over medieval Germany, founded by Margrave Luitpold of Bavaria. The name means bold people in German. It never appears in name popularity statistics, and Luitpold on its own is the only part still recognizable.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Bold people
- Pronunciation: LUWT-pohl-Ding
- Variations: Luitpold
Mahlangu
Mahlangu means one who bears shields, from the Zulu isihlangu. It belongs to the ruling Ndzundza Mabhoko royal house of the Ndebele clan in South Africa and Swaziland. Bongani Mahlangu boxed at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and Zena Mahlangu became the tenth wife of Mswati III. The rhythm falls into three even beats, part of why it carries so well.
- Origin: African, Zulu
- Meaning: Shield-bearer
- Pronunciation: Maa-LAANG-uw
- Namesakes: Bongani Mahlangu, a South African boxer who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Zena Mahlangu, a Swazi royal and the tenth wife of Mswati III.
- Popularity: Mahlangu is uncommon worldwide and mostly used in South Africa, where it ranked 6th in 2014.
Makedon
Makedon is the original name of the Macedonians, read as the tall ones or the highlanders in Greek. In Greek mythology, Makedon is the ancestor of the Macedonians and appears as a leader from the ancient Greek state of Epirus. Macedon is the spelling that reached English history books. A name meaning highlander suits a family that came down from them.
- Origin: Macedonian, Greek
- Meaning: Highlanders
- Pronunciation: MAA-keh-Dahn
- Variations: Macedon
- Popularity: Makedon is very rare worldwide and mainly used in Ukraine.
Mattei
Mattei is a variation of Matteo, the Italian form of Matthew, and it means gift of God. The House of Mattei held sway in Rome during and after the Middle Ages, and Pope Innocent II came from the family, serving from 1130 to 1143. Janet Akyüz Mattei directed the American Association of Variable Star Observers from 1973 to 2004, and Peter Mattei sings at the Royal Swedish Opera. Matteo is the more familiar Italian form nowadays, though Mattei has kept its own separate life as a surname.
- Origin: Italian, Latin
- Meaning: Gift of God
- Pronunciation: MAA-taey
- Variations: Matteo
- Namesakes: Janet Akyüz Mattei, a Turkish-American astronomer and director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers from 1973 to 2004. Peter Mattei, a Swedish opera singer at the Royal Swedish Opera.
- Popularity: Mattei is rare worldwide and primarily used in Italy, ranking 381st in 2014.
Medici
Medici is the plural of the Italian medico, meaning medical doctor, a curiously humble root for a family that ran Tuscany for most of the years between 1434 and 1737. Mita Medici acted in How I Learned to Love Women in 1966, and Emílio Garrastazu Médici was president of Brazil from 1969 to 1974. Said the Italian way, MEH-dee-chee, it sounds nothing like the English attempt.
- Origin: Italian, Latin
- Meaning: Medical doctor
- Pronunciation: MEH-dee-Chee
- Variations: Medicis
- Namesakes: Mita Medici, an Italian actress known for How I Learned to Love Women (1966). Emílio Garrastazu Médici, the president of Brazil from 1969 to 1974.
- Popularity: Medici is rare worldwide and mostly used in Italy, where it ranked 932nd in 2014.
Merovingian
Merovingian derives from the Latin Merohingii, meaning sons of Merovech. It began with Merovech, king of the Salian Franks, and the dynasty held power between the 5th and 7th centuries. Like Carolingian, it is a name most people meet as a chapter heading rather than a person.
- Origin: German, Frankish
- Meaning: Sons of Merovech
- Pronunciation: Mer-uh-VIHN-jee-Ahn
- Popularity: Merovingian is extremely rare worldwide, with just four known occurrences in 2014, mainly in the U.S.
Middleton
Middleton describes someone from Middleton, a place name that turns up in more than 30 locations across England and simply means middle town. It belonged to the English Barons of Barham and the Earls of Middleton, and the family has forty-two coats of arms to show for it. Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, is why it now reads as royal to most people. Darryl Middleton coaches basketball for CSKA Moscow.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Middle town
- Pronunciation: MIH-dehl-Tahn
- Variations: Middeltone
- Namesakes: Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales and wife to Prince William, heir to the British throne. Darryl Middleton, an American assistant basketball coach for CSKA Moscow.
- Popularity: Middleton has not appeared in the U.S. baby-name data since 1947, when five babies received it. Its best rank was 3,284th in 1918.
Mocenigo
The House of Mocenigo was a Venetian noble family that came originally from Lombardy. Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo served as Duke of Venice from 1763 to 1778, and Giovanni Mocenigo was an 18th-century ambassador to Pope Clement XII. Their influence over late medieval Italian society was considerable, though the name is scarce now and its meaning went unrecorded.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Unknown
- Pronunciation: Moh-seh-NEE-gow
- Namesakes: Giovanni Mocenigo, an 18th-century ambassador to Pope Clement XII. Alvise Giovanni Mocenigo, the Duke of Venice from 1763 to 1778.
- Popularity: Mocenigo is extremely rare worldwide, with 39 known occurrences in 2014, mostly in Italy.
Moravia
Moravia is a region in the eastern Czech Republic, named for the River Morava, and the word points to waters or a marsh. The historical territory reached into areas of modern Austria, Poland, Croatia, and Ukraine. Alberto Moravia wrote The Time of Indifference in 1929, and Charles Moravia founded the Haitian periodical Le Temps in 1922. It has the easy shape of a girl’s given name, unusual for a name built on a river.
- Origin: Czech
- Meaning: Waters
- Pronunciation: Moh-RAEY-vee-Ah
- Variations: Morvia
- Namesakes: Alberto Moravia, an Italian writer known for The Time of Indifference (1929). Charles Moravia, a Haitian writer who founded the periodical Le Temps in 1922.
- Popularity: Moravia is extremely rare worldwide, with 201 known occurrences in 2014, mainly in Brazil.
Mountbatten
Mountbatten is the Anglo version of the German Battenberg, referring to the Batten mountain, and Prince Philip’s maternal family adopted it in 1917. Louis Mountbatten was Philip’s maternal uncle. In 1960 the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh declared in Privy Council that her descendants without the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince or Princess would carry the name Mountbatten-Windsor, and it first appeared on an official document on 14 November 1973, in the marriage register at Westminster Abbey. That is a surname with a paper trail most families could only dream of.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Batten mountain
- Pronunciation: MAUWNT-baa-Tehn
- Namesakes: Louis Mountbatten, the maternal uncle to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark (also Philip Mountbatten), the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
- Popularity: Mountbatten is extremely rare worldwide, with just 18 known occurrences in 2014, primarily in England.
Munsö
The House of Munsö is also known as the Swedish House of Björn Ironside, who ruled during the Viking Age. The name belongs to an island, Munsö or Munsön, and to a village in Sweden. That umlaut turns the ending into something closer to a soft ur, which trips up most English speakers on the first try.
- Origin: Swedish
- Meaning: Island of Munsö
- Pronunciation: MUHN-sow
- Popularity: Munsö is extremely rare worldwide, with 152 known occurrences in 2014, mostly in Spain.
Nassau
Nassau joins the Old German naz, meaning damp, to ouwa, meaning water meadow. The title Duke of Nassau is now styled Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and both belong to the Dutch royal family, which also uses van Nassau. Charles William Nassau was a Presbyterian minister and the fourth president of Lafayette College in 1849 and 1850. Most Americans will think of the Bahamian capital long before the meadow.
- Origin: German, Dutch
- Meaning: Wet meadow
- Pronunciation: NAE-Sauw
- Variations: van Nassau
- Namesakes: Charles William Nassau, a Presbyterian minister and the fourth president of Lafayette College from 1849 to 1850.
- Popularity: Nassau is very rare worldwide and mainly used in the U.S.
Notthafft
Notthafft began in the Czech Republic in the 12th century, and the ruling family held influence right through to the 18th. Cajetan Anton Notthafft was Prince-Provost of Berchtesgaden in Bavaria from 1732 to 1752. Nothafft, Notthaft, and Nothaft all appear in the records, which suggests nobody agreed on the spelling even then. No evidence exists of anyone carrying it now.
- Origin: Czech
- Meaning: Unknown
- Pronunciation: NAWT-hauft
- Variations: Nothafft, Notthaft, Nothaft
- Namesakes: Cajetan Anton Notthafft, the Prince-Provost of Berchtesgaden in Bavaria from 1732 to 1752.
Orange
Orange is a town in southern France on the river Araise, and it gave its name to the royal House of Orange. In England it also arrived as a Huguenot surname, linked to the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau. James Orange worked as a civil rights activist alongside Martin Luther King Jr., and Rhasaan Orange has hosted The Vale Tudo Hour since 2018. The fruit came later and has been stealing the attention ever since.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: From Orange
- Pronunciation: OWR-aanj
- Namesakes: Rhasaan Orange, an American comedian and host of the podcast The Vale Tudo Hour since 2018. James Orange, an American civil rights activist and assistant to Martin Luther King Jr.
- Popularity: Orange has not turned up in the U.S. baby-name data since 1971, when five babies received it. Its best rank was 1,773rd in 1913.
Orléans
Orléans began as a French town in Loiret, though most readers will think of New Orleans first. The House of Orleans dates from 1661 and takes its name from the Roman Aurelian, meaning golden. Orlean is what survives once the accent is dropped.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Golden
- Pronunciation: Ohr-LEENZ
- Variations: Orlean
- Popularity: Orléans is very rare worldwide and mostly used in Ghana, where it was slightly uncommon in 2014.
Orsini
Orsini comes from the Italian orsi, meaning bears, and described someone with bear-like strength. The House of Orsini held power in Renaissance Italy, and Richard Orsini was count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from 1260 to 1303. Umberto Orsini won the 1969 Nastro d’Argento for Best Supporting Actor. Orsi is the trimmed version, and both keep the bear.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Bear-like
- Pronunciation: Ohr-SEE-niy
- Variations: Orsi
- Namesakes: Umberto Orsini, an Italian actor awarded the 1969 Nastro d’Argento for Best Supporting Actor. Richard Orsini, the count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from 1260 to 1303.
- Popularity: Orsini is rare worldwide, mainly used in the U.S., and ranked 1,663rd in the Dominican Republic in 2014.
Pavlovich
Pavlovich is a mostly Ukrainian and Belorussian patronymic meaning son of Pavlo, or son of Paul. Duke Dmitri Pavlovich is the best-known member of the Russian House of Pavlović, which is the traditional spelling. Veronika Pavlovich played table tennis at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and Vladislav Pavlovich took fencing gold in 1996. The vich ending does all the work, marking whose child you are.
- Origin: Slavic
- Meaning: Son of Paul
- Pronunciation: PAAV-loh-Vich
- Variations: Pavlovič
- Namesakes: Veronika Pavlovich, a Belarusian table tennis player who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Vladislav Pavlovich, a Russian fencer and gold medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
- Popularity: Pavlovich is rare worldwide, primarily used in Russia, and ranked 54th in Belarus in 2014.
Percy
Percy arrived in England from Normandy, where Percy-en-Auge sits, and the House of Percy is best known for the War of the Roses. It also works as a boy’s name in its own right, short for Percival. Walker Percy won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1962, and Alfred Percy played football for East Stirlingshire. Soft, quick, and slightly old-fashioned, it is the kind of name that comes back around.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: One who pierces the valley
- Pronunciation: PUHR-see
- Namesakes: Walker Percy, an American writer and winner of the 1962 National Book Award for Fiction. Alfred Percy, a Scottish footballer for East Stirlingshire.
- Popularity: Percy ranked 1,279th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 154 births, and use has roughly doubled on the previous decade. Its best rank was 189th, back in 1913.
Pfeffel
Pfeffel is the Anglo form of the German Pfaeffle, built on pfaffe, meaning cleric, or papst, meaning pope. The family is most associated with the 19th-century King of Bavaria. Gottlieb Konrad Pfeffel was a French-German writer whose words Ludwig van Beethoven set to music. The de Pfeffel variant keeps a French-style article that most German surnames dropped long ago.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: Pope
- Pronunciation: FEHF-ehl
- Variations: de Pfeffel
- Namesakes: Gottlieb Konrad Pfeffel, a French-German writer whose words were made into music by Ludwig van Beethoven.
- Popularity: Pfeffel is extremely rare worldwide, with 107 known occurrences in 2014, mainly in Austria.
Philopator
Philopator means father-loving, from the Greek fileo, meaning love, and patḗr, meaning father. It was a standard title among ancient Hellenistic rulers, and it is the official surname of Cleopatra Philopator, queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BCE. Her son Ptolemy XV Caesar was the last pharaoh of that kingdom. Nobody carries it today, but as a piece of history it is hard to beat.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Father-loving
- Pronunciation: Fih-LAH-paa-Tohr
- Namesakes: Cleopatra Philopator, the queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BCE. Ptolemy XV Caesar, the last pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, with his mother Cleopatra.
Pignatelli
Pignatelli is an Italian diminutive of pignatta, meaning pots, and it started as a nickname for a round person. The noble Pignatelli family of Naples carried it into real influence, and Antonio Pignatelli was made Pope in 1691. Fabio Pignatelli played in the rock band Goblin, and Luca Pignatelli has exhibited at the National Institute for Graphic Art. Not many surnames begin as a joke about someone’s shape and end up on a papal throne.
- Origin: Italian
- Meaning: Little pots
- Pronunciation: Pig-naa-TEHL-iy
- Namesakes: Fabio Pignatelli, an Italian musician and member of the rock band Goblin. Luca Pignatelli, an Italian artist with works exhibited at the National Institute for Graphic Art.
- Popularity: Pignatelli is very rare worldwide and primarily used in Italy.
Querini
The Querini family dates to 14th-century Venice, and their influence in city government lasted into the 19th. They are remembered for their art collection as much as their politics. Pietro Querini survived a shipwreck in Norway in 1432, and Vincenzo Querini was Venetian ambassador to Castile from 1504 to 1506. What the name itself means has never been settled.
- Origin: Italian, Latin
- Meaning: Venetian noble family
- Pronunciation: Kweh-REEN-iy
- Variations: Quirini
- Namesakes: Pietro Querini, a 15th-century Venetian sailing captain known for a shipwreck in Norway in 1432. Vincenzo Querini, the Venetian ambassador to Castile from 1504 to 1506.
- Popularity: Querini is very rare worldwide and mostly used in Italy.
Robertson
Robertson is one of the most straightforward names here: son of Robert. Three Scottish kings carried that first name, and the Robertsons of Struan are the oldest family in Scotland. George R. Robertson acted in the Police Academy films, and Keith Robertson won the William Allen White Children’s Book Award in 1961. Roberts and Robeson are the shorter relatives.
- Origin: English, Scottish
- Meaning: Son of Robert
- Pronunciation: RAH-behrt-Suhn
- Variations: Roberts, Robeson
- Namesakes: George R. Robertson, a Canadian actor known for the Police Academy films. Keith Robertson, an American children’s writer who won the 1961 William Allen White Children’s Book Award.
- Popularity: Robertson last appeared in the U.S. baby-name data in 2022, at 13,923rd, given to five babies. Its best rank was 2,097th in 1964.
Romanov
Romanov grows out of the first name Roman, meaning from Rome. The dynasty ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917, founded by Michael Romanov in the year he became Tsar. Grigory Romanov was Military Industry Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1983 to 1986, and Roman Romanov plays football for FC Rotor-2 Volgograd. Romanoff is the spelling that emigrated west.
- Origin: Russian
- Meaning: From Rome
- Pronunciation: ROW-maa-Noff
- Variations: Romanoff
- Namesakes: Roman Romanov, a Russian footballer for FC Rotor-2 Volgograd. Grigory Romanov, the Military Industry Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1983 to 1986.
- Popularity: Romanov is uncommon worldwide and primarily used in Russia, ranking 34th in 2014.
Rothschild
Rothschild means red coat of arms in Yiddish, which came to be read as red shield. It ties to the German zum rothen Schild, meaning at the red shield. Mayer Amschel Rothschild founded the banking dynasty, and Jonathan Rothschild was the 41st mayor of Tucson, Arizona, from 2011 to 2019. Few surnames are so bound up with wealth that the word alone does the work.
- Origin: German, Yiddish
- Meaning: Red shield
- Pronunciation: RAWTH-chaeld
- Variations: de Rothschild, von Rothschild
- Namesakes: Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a German-Jewish banker and founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty. Jonathan Rothschild, the 41st mayor of Tucson, Arizona, from 2011 to 2019.
- Popularity: Rothschild is rare worldwide, primarily used in the U.S., and ranked 1,010th in Israel in 2014.
Royal
Royal is associated with Royle, which joins the Old English rā, meaning roe deer, to hyll, meaning hill, so the deer got there before the king did. The regal reading comes from the Latin regalis, from rex, and it began working as a given name in the 19th century. Ernest Royal played trumpet on The Genius of Ray Charles in 1959, and Marie-Ségolène Royal ran for the French presidency in 2007. Royale adds a flourish for anyone who wants one.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: King
- Pronunciation: ROEY-Ehl
- Variations: Royale
- Namesakes: Ernest Royal, an American jazz trumpeter who played on the recording The Genius of Ray Charles (1959). Marie-Ségolène Royal, the Socialist Party candidate for the presidency of France in 2007.
- Popularity: Royal ranked 476th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 640 births, and it is the fastest riser on this list, up about 245% over the last ten years of births against the ten before them. It reads as unisex now too, with 125 girls given it in 2025.
Salian
Salian is a German form of Solomon, used for the Salian dynasty of the Middle Ages, which produced four German kings. The name also attaches to the Salian Franks, a subgroup of the northwestern Franks, and worked as a nickname for a wise or fortunate person. Selyman is the variant that shows the Solomon connection more plainly.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Peace
- Pronunciation: SEY-lee-Uhn
- Variations: Selyman
- Popularity: Salian is rare worldwide, primarily used in India, and ranked 737th in Bahrain in 2014.
Samborides
The Samborides dynasty, also called the House of Sobiesław, ruled the Pomerelia region of Poland mainly through the 12th and 13th centuries. Their name means wise or famous. As a living surname it has almost certainly died out.
- Origin: Polish
- Meaning: Wise, famous
- Pronunciation: Saam-BOH-riy-Dehs
Saraka
Saraka means alms or charity in Austrian. The House of Saraka came out of the Republic of Ragusa and ruled from 1172 CE. Jagannath Saraka has served as a cabinet minister in the Indian state of Odisha since 2022. Three light syllables carry a rather serious meaning.
- Origin: Austrian
- Meaning: Alms
- Pronunciation: Saa-RAAK-ah
- Variations: Saraca
- Namesakes: Jagannath Saraka, a cabinet minister in the Indian state of Odisha since 2022.
- Popularity: Saraka is rare worldwide and mostly used in the Ivory Coast, where it ranked 246th in 2014.
Schleswig
Schleswig means bay of the Schlei, a stretch of the Baltic Sea, while Holstein was associated with a forest. Together they name the Grand Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein, the family’s best-known incarnation. A bay and a forest joined by a hyphen is an unusually literal way to name a dynasty.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Bay of the Schlei
- Pronunciation: SHLEHS-vig
- Popularity: Schleswig is extremely rare worldwide, with just four known occurrences in 2014, mainly in Germany.
Seeiso
Seeiso belonged to Simon Seeiso Griffith, chief of Basutoland, a British colony in South Africa. His grandson, King Letsie III of Lesotho, has ruled since 1996, and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, the king’s brother, presided over the Senate from 2015 to 2017. The name means king outright. Three vowels in a row make it look harder to say than it is.
- Origin: South African, Lesotho
- Meaning: King
- Pronunciation: SIY-soh
- Namesakes: Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, the brother of King Letsie III and president of the Senate of Lesotho from 2015 to 2017.
- Popularity: Seeiso is very rare worldwide and primarily used in Lesotho, ranking 519th in 2014.
Seymour
Seymour marked someone from St. Maur in Normandy, and it also carries the sense of the son of Semar. The English noble family that used it includes the Dukes of Somerset, and like many English nobles of the period they kept close Norman-French ties. Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from 1536 to 1537, and Cara Seymour appeared in Gangs of New York. Seymore is the phonetic spelling for anyone tired of explaining the ou.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Saint-Maur
- Pronunciation: SEE-Mohr
- Variations: Seymore
- Namesakes: Jane Seymour, Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from 1536 to 1537. Cara Seymour, an English actress, appearing in Gangs of New York (2000).
- Popularity: Seymour ranked 7,594th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 11 births, a long fall from 182nd in 1924. It is rising again, up about 46% on the previous decade.
Sinclair
Sinclair can be read several ways, most often as from St. Clair in Normandy. It became a Norman-Scottish surname and picked up an association with the Latin clarus, meaning pure and renowned. Ian Sinclair was Australian Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1998, and Rebecca Sinclair was the youngest New Zealander to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Sainclair keeps the saint visible, though the smoother form has won out.
- Origin: Scottish
- Meaning: Illustrious
- Pronunciation: Sihn-KLAER
- Variations: Sainclair
- Namesakes: Ian Sinclair, the Australian Speaker of the House of Representatives from March to August 1998. Rebecca Sinclair, the youngest New Zealand athlete to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
- Popularity: Sinclair ranked 4,740th among U.S. baby names in 2025, and its 29 births that year were its highest yearly count on record. Its best rank came in 1994 at 4,671st, and use is up about 75% on the previous decade.
Sondenburg
The Danish Sonderburg family were largely 17th-century dukes, descended from the House of Oldenburg and founded by Ernest Günther, Duke of Holstein. The name comes from a town in southern Denmark. It may well be extinct as a surname now.
- Origin: Danish
- Meaning: Danish town
- Pronunciation: SOHN-den-Behrg
- Variations: Sonnenberg
Spencer
Spencer is an occupational surname describing a house steward, from the Old French despensier. Its most famous bearer was Lady Diana Frances Spencer, who married Prince Charles and became Princess Diana, mother of Princes William and Harry. Jeremy Spencer was an original member of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Spenser is the older spelling, and the name has moved comfortably onto girls as well as boys.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Steward
- Pronunciation: SPEHN-sehr
- Variations: Spenser
- Namesakes: Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Spencer), the first wife of Charles III and mother of Princes William and Harry. Jeremy Spencer, an English musician and original member of the rock band Fleetwood Mac.
- Popularity: Spencer ranked 360th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 908 births, the highest current ranking of any name on this list. Its best rank was 84th in 1998, and it has eased back about a third over the past decade.
Stanley
The noble Stanley family is linked to the Audley family and traces back to 1086. The name means a stony meadow in Old English, and ten parishes in England carry it. Albert Stanley chaired the London Passenger Transport Board from 1933 to 1947, and Paul Stanley fronts the rock band Kiss. It is a meadow name that has spent the past century sounding like somebody’s grandfather.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Stony meadow
- Pronunciation: STAEN-liy
- Variations: Stanly
- Namesakes: Albert Stanley, a British-American businessman and chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board from 1933 to 1947. Paul Stanley, an American musician and lead singer of the rock band Kiss.
- Popularity: Stanley ranked 863rd among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 278 births, and use has held steady over the past decade. It reached 34th in 1915, its best year in the rankings.
Stuart
Stuart joins the Old English stig, meaning household, to weard, meaning guardian, since a steward ran the royal household. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, is its best-known bearer by some distance. Gloria Stuart acted in Titanic, and Peter Stuart sang with Dog’s Eye View. Stewart is the spelling that kept the job title visible.
- Origin: Scottish, French
- Meaning: Household guardian
- Pronunciation: STUW-ardt
- Variations: Stewart
- Namesakes: Gloria Stuart, an American actress known for Titanic (1997). Peter Stuart, an American singer-songwriter of the band Dog’s Eye View.
- Popularity: Stuart ranked 2,534th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 53 births. It is the steepest faller on this list, down about 39% over the last ten years of births against the ten before them, and its best rank was 161st in 1960.
Tschugguel
Tschugguel was born out of an Austrian legend involving a thousand-year-old oak tree. The family originated in the South Tyrol area of Italy and is remembered for Mayor Leonhard von Tschugguel. Just 15 known bearers turned up worldwide in 2014, which makes that tsch sound rarer than the legend behind it.
- Origin: Austrian
- Meaning: Oak at Tschueggsee
- Pronunciation: CHUH-gehl
- Popularity: Tschugguel is extremely rare worldwide, with only 15 known occurrences in 2014, primarily in Australia.
Tudor
Tudor can mean the son of Tudor, and it is the Welsh form of the English-Celtic Toutorīx, treated as a variation of the Greek Theodōros, meaning people’s king. The English House of Tudor ruled from 1485 to 1603, which is why the word now names an architectural style and a century of drama. Mary Tudor was Queen of France as the third wife of King Louis XII from 1514 to 1515, and Adrian Tudor played basketball for BCM U Pitesti. Tewdwr is the older Welsh spelling, one consonant shift away from the name in use today.
- Origin: English, Welsh
- Meaning: People’s king
- Pronunciation: TEW-dohr
- Variations: Tewdwr
- Namesakes: Mary Tudor, the Queen of France and third wife of King Louis XII from 1514 to 1515. Adrian Tudor, a Romanian basketball player for BCM U Pitesti.
- Popularity: Tudor ranked 13,726th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with five births, roughly one in 333,333, making it the rarest charted name on this list. Its best rank was 4,285th in 1921.
Vajiralongkorn
Vajiralongkorn is the only entry here that is purely a current monarch’s name. It belongs to the King of Thailand, who has reigned since 2016 as the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, and it means adorned with jewels or thunderbolts. It belongs to exactly one person now, a king with no need to share his name.
- Origin: Thai
- Meaning: Adorned with jewels
- Pronunciation: VAA-jee-Rah-LONG-korn
- Namesakes: Vajiralongkorn, the current King of Thailand since 2016 and the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit.
Von Schmitt
The von Schmitt family was known in the German Kingdom of Bavaria during the 19th century. The name rests on the German schmit, meaning blacksmith or metalworker, so a noble particle sits in front of a working trade. Drop the von and Schmitt is what remains.
- Origin: German
- Meaning: Blacksmith
- Pronunciation: Vohn-SCHMIDT
- Variations: Schmitt
Wangchuck
Wangchuck means mighty in Tibetan, built from dbang, meaning power, and phyug, meaning wealthy. It is also the Tibetan name for the god Shiva, and it belongs to the Tibetan Wangchuck dynasty. Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has been king of Bhutan since 2006, and Sangay Wangchuck set a record at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. Power and wealth in two syllables is a direct sort of promise.
- Origin: Bhutanese, Tibetan
- Meaning: Mighty
- Pronunciation: WAANG-chuk
- Variations: Wangchuk
- Namesakes: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the fifth and current king of Bhutan since 2006. Sangay Wangchuk, a Bhutanese long-distance runner and record-setter at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics.
- Popularity: Wangchuck is extremely rare, with 94 known occurrences in 2014, mainly in Bhutan, where it ranked 315th.
Wettin
Wettin points to Wettin Castle in Saxony, standing since the 10th century CE. Through Prince Albert it became the personal name of Queen Victoria’s family, until 1917 changed everything. Two syllables carried the British monarchy for two generations and then vanished from it completely.
- Origin: English, German
- Meaning: From Wettin
- Pronunciation: VEHT-ihn
- Variations: Wettyn
- Popularity: Wettin is extremely rare worldwide, with 168 known occurrences in 2014, mainly in Germany.
Windsor
The House of Windsor is the most famous royal family in the world, and it has only carried the name since 1917. At a Privy Council meeting on 17 July 1917, King George V said that “all descendants in the male line of Queen Victoria, who are subjects of these realms, other than female descendants who marry or who have married, shall bear the name of Windsor” (2), replacing Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The word itself refers to the royal residence in Berkshire, England. Elizabeth II reigned as a Windsor from 1952 to 2022, and Lord Frederick Windsor is the only son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Riverbank with a winch
- Pronunciation: WIHND-Zer
- Variations: Winsor
- Namesakes: Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Windsor), the longest reigning Queen of the U.K. and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 to 2022. Lord Frederick Windsor, a member of the British royal family and the only son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
- Popularity: Windsor ranked 5,714th among U.S. baby names in 2025 with 22 births, and its best ranking year on record was 2024. It first appeared in the data in 1985 and has more than doubled on the previous decade.
Yamato
Yamato likely means great harmony in Japanese, with a secondary link to yama, meaning mountains. It names the Japanese Imperial family, the House of Yamato. The manga artist Waki Yamato wrote Dorobō Tenshi in 1966, and the filmmaker Yūki Yamato was named Best New Director at the 24th Japan Film Professional Awards. Great harmony is a lot to promise, and the imperial house has had centuries to work on it.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Great harmony
- Pronunciation: Yaa-MAA-Toh
- Namesakes: Waki Yamato, a Japanese manga artist known for the short story Dorobō Tenshi (1966). Yūki Yamato, a Japanese filmmaker named Best New Director at the 24th Japan Film Professional Awards.
- Popularity: Yamato last appeared in the U.S. baby-name data in 2022, at 14,251st, given to five babies. It first charted in 2000 and reached its best rank, 7,566th, in 2007.
Ying
Ying means victory in Chinese and was the surname of the Qin Emperor. It also names a state ruled by King Wu of Zhou in the 11th century CE. Xing is the related spelling. It works the same whether written as a given name or a surname, no adjustment needed either way.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Victory
- Pronunciation: YIHNG
- Variations: Xing
- Popularity: Ying last appeared in the U.S. baby-name data in 2009, at 17,232nd, given to six babies. Its best rank was 4,965th in 1984.
