140+ Royal Surnames That Are Fit for the Throne

Whether you’re writing a novel, creating a character, or simply daydreaming, this detailed list of royal last names is sure to help! We scoured the internet for the most royal surnames. Most of the names listed below are rooted in monarchical history, but we did throw in a few fantasy ones just for fun.

Famous Royal Second Names

Barclay
Bourbon
Hastings
Howard
Tudor
Windsor

Section 1 of 8:

English & British Royal Last Names

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These royal last names are deeply rooted in British history. England has the most well-known monarchical rule. These surnames are historical and represent some of the finest (and controversial) leaders to date:^{[1]
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- Astley (Old English for “east”)
- Baskerville (Anglo-Norman French for “copse” or “thicket”)
- Cambridge (English for “bridge on the River Cam”)
- Capell (English for “chappell”)
- Courtenay (French for “from the domain of Curtius”)
- Cromwell (English for “winding stream”)
- Darcy (Irish for “dark-haired”)
- Grey (English for “grey complexion”)
- Hanover (German for “bank” or “shore”)
- Hastings (English for “from Hastings in Sussex”)
- Howard (Norman-French for “bold heart”)
- Izyaslavich (Slavic for “son of Izyaslav”)
- Lancaster (English for “fort on the Lune river”)^{[2]
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- Manners (Norman for “to remain” or “reside”)
- Markle (English for “boundary woodland clearing”)
- Middleton (English for “from the middle town”)
- Neville (Norman-French for “new town”)
- Percy (Norman-French for “from Percy”)
- Plantagenet (French for “sprig of broom”)
- Russell (French for “little red” or “red-haired”)
- Seymour (English for “of Saint-Maur”)
- Spencer (English for “dispenser of provisions”)
- Stanley (Old English for “stone clearing”)
- Talbot (Anglo-Norman for “valley bold”)
- Tudor (Welsh for “ruler of the people”)
- Windsor (English for “riverbank with a witch”)
- Wettin (German for “wood”)
- York (English for “yew-tree place”)

Section 2 of 8:

European Royal Last Names

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These royal last names come from the British Isles. Separated from Europe by sea, the British Isles have their own royal families. The names below are some of the most historical, well-known, and powerful royal European surnames:^{[3]
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- Agnes (Greek for “pure” or “chaste”)
- Augustus (Latin for “majestic”)
- Bernadotte (French for “of Bearn”)
- Bonaparte (French for “good part”)
- Bourbon (French for “from Bourbon”)^{[4]
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- Capet (French for “chief”)
- Castile (Latin for “castle”)
- Charlemagne (French for “Charles the Great”)
- Conrad (German for “brave counsel”)
- Ferdinand (German for “daring journey”)
- Germanicus (Roman for “the conqueror of Germans”)
- Glucksburg (German for “luck” or “castle of happiness”)
- Grimaldi (German for “mask” or “power”)
- Guillaume (French for “protector”)
- Gustav (Swedish for “royal staff”)
- Habsburg (German for “Hawk’s Castle”)^{[5]
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- Herbert (German for “bright army”)
- Hohenstaugen (German for “high chalice”)
- Kiev (Ukrainian for “stik” or “pole”)
- Makedon (Greek for “tall” or “slender”)
- Medici (Italian for “doctors”)
- Mountbatten (German for “from Battenberg”)
- Oldenburg (German for “old fortress”)
- Orleans (French for “from Orleans”)
- Pavlovich (Slavic for “son of Paul”)
- Romanov (Russian for “descendant of Roman”)
- Savoy (French for “land of fir trees”)
- Valois (French for “valley”)^{[6]
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Section 3 of 8:

Scottish Royal Last Names

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These royal last names come from Scotland’s history. While not the most popular or well-known rulers, the Scottish have some powerful and enchanting royal surnames. The names below may serve as inspiration for characters with Scottish backgrounds or ancestry:^{[7]
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- Alpin (Scottish for “fair” or “white”)
- Balliol (French for “fortification”)
- Barclay (Scottish for “birch tree meadow”)^{[8]
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- Bruce (Norman-French for “the willowlands”)
- Campbell (Gaelic for “cam” or “crooked mouth”)
- Canmore (Scottish for “big head”)
- Donald (Scottish for “world-mighty”)
- Drummond (Scottish for “high ground”)
- Fraser (Scottish for “strawberry”)
- Gregor (Greek for “watchful” or “vigilant”)
- MacDonald (Gaelic for “son of Donald”)
- MacGregor (Gaelic for “son of Gregor”)
- Mackenzie (Gaelic for “son of Coinneach”)
- Macrae (Scottish for “son of grace”)
- Murray (Scottish for “settlement by the sea”)
- Robertson (Scottish for “son of Robert”)
- Stewart (English for “steward”)
- Stuart (English for “steward”)
- Wallace (French for “foreigner”)^{[9]
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Section 4 of 8:

Middle Eastern Royal Last Names

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These royal last names hail from the Middle East. Middle Eastern royals have dignified surnames that are simple yet elegant. The last names below are from of the most significant leaders of the Middle East:
- Abdulaziz (Arabic for “servant of the Almighty”)
- Al Hashim (Islamic for “from the clan of Hashim”)
- Al Maktoum (Arabic for “the one who is guided”)
- Al Nahyan (Arabic for “guidance” or “wisdom”)
- Al-Nasir (Arabic for “the helper”)
- Al Said (Arabic for “the happy”)
- Al Saud (Arabic for “the fortunate”)
- Al-Thani (Arabic for “of Thani”)
- Dlamini (African for “descendant of Dlamini”)
- Ilunga (African for “tolerant”)
- Nefertiti (Egyptian for “the beautiful one”)^{[10]
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Fun fact: in Arabic, names start with “Al” because “Al” is a definite article that means “the.” Arabic proper nouns often start with “Al” to signify importance or class.^{[11]
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Section 5 of 8:

African Royal Last Names

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These royal last names derive from a long line of African rulers. Surnames in African culture are imaginative, powerful, and meaningful. Take a look at the list below for the most significant royal last names from Africa:
- Alawi (Arabic for “descendant of Ali”)
- Fouad (Arabic for “heart” or “soul”)
- Kieta (African for “heirs”)
- Kilukeni (African for “people of Lukeni”)
- Kwilu (African for “the House of Kwilu”)
- Mahlangu (South African for “to extract”)
- Philopator (Greek for “father loving”)
- Seeiso (South African for “eye of sorrow”)
Fun fact: They’re are only a few cases of known ruling queens in Africa. The Lovedu kingdom of South Africa switched from having a king to a queen in the 1800s and hasn’t had a king since.^{[12]
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Section 6 of 8:

Asian Royal Last Names

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These royal last names have been passed down through Asian dynasties. The surnames of Asian royals carry a heavy historical weight, along with beautiful sounds and meanings. The royal last names below represent some of the most established legacies in Asian culture:
- Bolkiah (Asian for “the royal family of Brunei”)
- Jaipur (Sanskrit for “victory”)
- Jimmu (Japanese for “divine might”)
- Khan (Mongolian for “ruler” or “lord”)
- Li (Chinese for “plum”)^{[13]
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- Mewar (Indian for “from Mewar”)
- Pema (Tibetan for “lotus flower”)
- Qian (Chinese for “money” or “coin”)
- Rathore (Sanskrit for “chariot” or “warrior”)
- Shan (Chinese for “mountain” or “hill”)^{[14]
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- Sho (Japanese for “villa” or “estate”)
- Sun (Chinese for “descendant”)
- Wang (Chinese for “kind”)
- Wangchuck (Tibetan for “mighty”)^{[15]
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- Xing (Chinese for “lucky”)
- Yi (Chinese for “change”)
- Ying (Chinese for “hero” or “flower”)
- Zhang (Chinese for “to draw a bow”)
- Zhao (Chinese for “to go” or “to surpass”)
- Zhuan (Chinese for “good and simple”)^{[16]
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Section 7 of 8:

Fantasy Royal Last Names

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These royal last names are simply enchanting. If you’re creating a character and don’t feel inspired by any real royal surnames, try something fantastical! Make up your own surname to match your magical world, or use one of the fantasy names below to trigger your creativity:
- Blackwood
- Blossom
- Cinderfell
- Etherwind
- Everbright
- Golding
- Henley
- Lestrange
- Lyrista
- Nightingale
- Nyx
- Quantum
- Ravenwood
- Riverwood
- Silverstream
- Solace
- Stonebridge
- Tinndale
- Valerius
- Winslow
- Looking for more cool fantasy last names? Check out this awesome list!

Section 8 of 8:

Fictional Royal Last Names

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These royal last names come from your favorite movies, shows, and books. Some of the best royal character surnames are inspired by real-life royals, but they’re not factual. Take a look at the list below for some fantastical inspiration:
- Amidala (from Star Wars)
- Aragorn (from The Lord of the Rings)
- Cersei (from Game of Thrones)
- Penvensie (from The Chronicles of Narnia)
- Swann (from Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Targaryen (from Game of Thrones)
- Thermopolis (from The Princess Diaries)