Browse Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the meaning contains the keyword nobleman.
usage
meaning
De Koning Dutch
Dutch cognate of King.
De Rege Italian (Rare)
Italian variant of Rey 1.
Duke English
From the noble title, which was originally from Latin dux "leader". It was a nickname for a person who behaved like a duke, or who worked in a duke's household.
Earl English
From the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English eorl meaning "nobleman, warrior". It was either a nickname for one who acted like an earl, or an occupational name for a person employed by an earl.
Fitzroy English
Means "son of the king" in Anglo-Norman French, from French roi meaning "king". This name has been bestowed upon illegitimate children of kings.
Fürst German
From a nickname meaning "(sovereign) prince" in German. The word fürst itself is derived from Old High German furisto "first".
Herceg Croatian
Croatian form of Herzog.
Herczeg Hungarian
Hungarian form of Herzog.
Herczog Hungarian
Hungarian form of Herzog.
Herzog German
From a German title meaning "duke", a nickname for a person who either acted like a duke or worked in a duke's household.
Hidalgo Spanish
Means "nobleman" in Spanish. The Spanish word is a contraction of the phrase hijo de algo meaning "son of something". This surname was typically in origin a nickname or an occupational name for one who worked in a noble's household.
Hou Chinese
From Chinese (hóu) meaning "lord, nobleman".
Khan Urdu, Pashto, Bengali
From a title meaning "king, ruler", probably of Mongolian origin but used in many languages.
King English
From Old English cyning "king", originally a nickname for someone who either acted in a kingly manner or who worked for or was otherwise associated with a king. A famous bearer was the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).
Király Hungarian
Means "king" in Hungarian, of Slavic origin (a cognate of Król).
Knežević Croatian, Serbian
Patronymic of Serbo-Croatian knez meaning "prince" (ultimately of Germanic origin).
Koenig German
German cognate of King.
König German
German cognate of King.
Königsmann German
Means "king's man", or someone who played a king in a play.
Koning Dutch
Dutch cognate of King.
Král m Czech
Czech form of Król.
Kráľ m Slovak
Slovak form of Król.
Kralj Slovene, Croatian, Serbian
Slovene, Croatian and Serbian form of Król.
Król Polish
Means "king" in Polish. The name referred to one who acted like a king or was connected in some way with a king's household.
Kumar Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Odia, Malayalam, Tamil
Means "boy, prince" in Sanskrit.
Leroy French
Variant of Rey 1, using the definite article.
Mac Giolla Rí Irish
Means "son of the king's servant" in Irish.
Ó Máille Irish
Means "descendant of a nobleman" from the Irish Gaelic mál.
Prinsen Dutch
Means "son of the prince", the term prince would have denoted someone who acted in a regal manner.
Prinz German, Jewish
Means "prince", used as an ornamental name by Jews or as a nickname for someone who acted in a princely manner.
Rao 1 Telugu, Kannada
From Sanskrit राज (raja) meaning "king".
Ray English
Variant of Rey 1, Rey 2, Rye or Wray.
Italian
Italian form of Rey 1.
Rey 1 English, Spanish, French, Catalan
Means "king" in Old French, Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin rex (genitive regis), perhaps originally denoting someone who acted like a king.
Reyes Spanish
Spanish variant of Rey 1.
Shah Persian, Urdu
Derived from Persian شاه (shah) meaning "king".
Wang 1 Chinese
From Chinese (wáng) meaning "king, monarch". This is the most common surname in China (and the world).