Royal children born out of wedlock were rarely recognised, but when they were, their names sometimes reflected the link. Other surnames with possible ties to royal lines include Somerset, Richmond, Beaufort, and Lennox — all associated with descendants of monarchs born outside marriage.

More names linked to royal or aristocratic heritage

Even if your family name isn’t Fitzroy or one of its close relatives, you might still have a drop of blue blood. Genealogy site Family History Daily, drawing from Charles H. Browning’s 1891 book Americans of Royal Descent, compiled a list of surnames that appear in royal or noble family trees.

Here are some of them:

Abel, Alden, Appleton, Ayer, Barber, Barclay, Beverly, Binney, Brooke, Brown, Campbell, Carroll, Chauncey, Coleman, Cooper, Davis, Dickinson, Darling, Douglas, Dunbar, Edwards, Ellery, Ellis, Emmett, Evans, Farley, Fleming, Forest, French, Gardiner, George, Gerard, Gerry, Gibson, Graham, Hamilton, Haynes, Herbert, Hill, Howard, Hume, Irving, Jackson, James, Jenkins, Johnson, Kane, Kennedy, Ker, Key, King, Langdon, Lawrence, Lee, Leonard, Livingston, Lloyd, McCall, McDonald, Malcalester, Montgomery, Morris, Morton, Nelson, Nicholson, Nixon, Norris, O’Carroll, Ogle, Opie, Parsons, Patterson, Peabody, Pomeroy, Porter, Pratt, Preston, Quay, Randolph, Read, Reeve, Robinson, Rogers, Sanford, Shaw, Smith, Sowden, Stanley, Taylor, Townsend, Turner, Tyler, Valentine, Varson, Walker, Watts, White, Whiting, Williams, Young.

So, if you spot your surname in this list, you might just have a royal connection somewhere in your family’s past. Of course, a shared name doesn’t guarantee a crown in your family vault — but it’s a great excuse to explore your roots. Who knows? You could uncover a noble tale or two to share at your next gathering.