Duke EnglishFrom 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 EnglishFrom 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 EnglishMeans
"son of the king" in Anglo-Norman French, from French
roi meaning "king". This name has been bestowed upon illegitimate children of kings.
Fürst GermanFrom a nickname meaning
"(sovereign) prince" in German. The word
fürst itself is derived from Old High German
furisto "first".
Herzog GermanFrom a German title meaning
"duke", a nickname for a person who either acted like a duke or worked in a duke's household.
Hidalgo SpanishMeans
"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.
Khan Urdu, Pashto, BengaliFrom a title meaning
"king, ruler", probably of Mongolian origin but used in many languages.
King EnglishFrom 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).
Król PolishMeans
"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, TamilMeans
"boy, prince" in Sanskrit.
Ó Máille IrishMeans
"descendant of a nobleman" from the Irish Gaelic
mál.
Prinsen DutchMeans
"son of the prince", the term prince would have denoted someone who acted in a regal manner.
Prinz German, JewishMeans
"prince", used as an ornamental name by Jews or as a nickname for someone who acted in a princely manner.
Rey 1 English, Spanish, French, CatalanMeans
"king" in Old French, Spanish and Catalan, ultimately from Latin
rex (genitive
regis), perhaps originally denoting someone who acted like a king.
Wang 1 ChineseFrom Chinese
王 (wáng) meaning
"king, monarch". This is the most common surname in China (and the world).