The 35 surnames that could link you to the royal family

Could you possibly be related to a royal, and be none the wiser? 

The global family history platform MyHeritage has compiled a new list identifying 35 surnames with historical ties to royal families and aristocratic houses across Britain and Europe.

For example, if you have the last name Howard, you may have historical links to some prominent aristocratic family in the UK, holding the title of Dukes of Norfolk.

The Howard family was founded by William Howard in 1295. He gained the Duchy of Norfolk through marriage to the Mowbray line. His descendants held high office under Henry VIII and were even executed for plotting against Elizabeth I. 

Meanwhile, the surname Bruce is tied to Scottish royalty. The House of Bruce was a prominent Scottish royal dynasty with Robert the Bruce becoming King of Scots in 1306. 

Though the surname Spencer is most famously tied to the late Princess of Wales, Diana, the last name originated from the medieval title “dispensator” (Latin) or “despenser” (Norman French), meaning “one who dispenses” or “steward” in aristocratic or royal households. 

© Tim Graham Photo Library via Get

The family’s influence grew through strategic marriages and close ties with the royals. 

If your surname is Percy, you may have links to an aristocratic English family who were descendants of Norman French followers of William the Conqueror. They have held the title of Earls of Northumberland since 1377 and Dukes of Northumberland since 1766. 

© Getty Images

For 700 years, the Percy family’s ancestral home has been the Alnwick Castle in northern England – which is now a popular tourist attraction thanks to the current 12th Duke, Ralph Percy. 

Is your last name linked to royalty or nobility? Read the full list below: 

1. Stuart (Stewart)
2. Spencer
3. Plantagenet
4. Lancaster
5. York
6. Tudor
7. Savoy (Savoia, Savoie)
8. de Medici (Medici)
9. Capet
10. Valois (de Valois)
11. Bourbon (de Bourbon)
12. Orléans (d’Orléans, de Orléans)
13. Howard
14. Seymour
15. Percy
16. Habsburg
17. Bruce
18. Orange-Nassau
19. Oldenburg
20. Glücksburg
21. Romanov
22. Baskerville
23. Darcy (d’Arcy)
24. Neville
25. Astley
26. Capell (Capel)
27. Grey
28. FitzAlan
29. Courtenay
30. Manners
31. Russell
32. Cavendish
33. Talbot
34. Hanover
35. Windsor (Mountbatten-Windsor)