indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from nickname)
Usage Medieval English, Medieval French
Meaning & History
Borne by the House of Plantagenet, a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. It also originated as a nickname for Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou (1113-1151), father of King Henry II of England (1133-1189), who ascended the English throne in 1154. The name has traditionally been taken to mean a "sprig of broom", which is an instance of a "hairy shoot". The name is used by modern historians to identify four distinct royal houses: the Angevins, who were also counts of Anjou; the main body of the Plantagenets following the loss of Anjou; and the Plantagenets' two cadet branches, the houses of Lancaster and York. The last Plantagenet ruler was King Richard III of England (1452-1485).