Royal Families' Last Names: A Comprehensive Guide

Finding out the "last names" of royal families can be a bit tricky, as many of them don't technically have them in the same way that ordinary families do. However, there are various ways to look at this question. Some royal families use a surname, while others use a title, dynasty, or even a patronymic. This article will delve into the various ways in which royal families identify themselves and explore the fascinating histories behind these names.
1. **Windsor:** This is the official last name adopted by the British royal family in 1917. It is derived from Windsor Castle, a royal residence in Berkshire, England.
2. **Mountbatten:** This is the surname of Prince Philip, the late husband of Queen Elizabeth II. He was a member of the Battenberg family, which changed its surname to Mountbatten during World War I.
3. ** Saxe-Coburg and Gotha:** This was the original last name of the British royal family, but it was changed to Windsor in 1917. Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a German princely house.
4. **Hanover:** This was the last name of the British royal family from 1714 to 1901. It was derived from the city of Hanover in Germany.
5. **Stuart:** This was the last name of the British royal family from 1603 to 1714. It originated in Scotland.
6. **Bourbon:** This is the name of a prominent European royal family that originated in France and has branches throughout Europe.
7. **Habsburg:** A powerful royal dynasty that ruled over vast parts of Europe for centuries, including Austria, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire.
8. **Romanov:** This is the last name of the Russian imperial family, which ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917.
9. **Orléans:** A branch of the French royal family descended from Louis XIII's brother, Gaston, Duke of Orléans.
10. **Braganza:** The royal family of Portugal, named after the Portuguese town of Braganza.
11. **Wittelsbach:** This family was one of the most important in Germany, ruling Bavaria, the Palatinate, and other territories.
12. **Holstein-Gottorp:** A royal family in Germany, which held the title of Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.
13. **Bernadotte:** The current royal family of Sweden, founded by Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a French marshal who became King Charles XIV John of Sweden.
14. **Thurn und Taxis:** A noble family in Germany, descended from the postmasters of the Holy Roman Empire.
15. **Glyksburg:** A royal family that reigned over Denmark, Greece, and Norway, originally named Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg.
16. **Borbon-Parma:** A branch of the Bourbon family, descended from the Duchy of Parma.
17. **Orange-Nassau:** This is the last name of the royal family of the Netherlands.
18. ** Hohenzollern:** This royal family reigned over Prussia and the German Empire.
19. ** Oldenburg:** A royal family that reigned over Denmark and various German territories, including Oldenburg.
20. **Bonaparte:** The family of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor of France.
21. ** Grimaldi:** The royal family of Monaco, a family with a long and colorful history.
22. ** Liechtenstein:** The royal family of Liechtenstein, a tiny principality in Central Europe.
23. **Karađorđević:** The royal family of Serbia, founded by Karađorđe Petrović, a leader of the First Serbian Uprising.
24. **Rurik:** The dynasty that ruled Russia from the 9th to the 16th centuries.
25. **Valois:** A royal family of France that ruled for almost three centuries.
26. **Capetian:** A dynasty that ruled France from the 10th to the 14th centuries.
27. **Plantagenet:** The royal dynasty of England from the 12th to the 14th centuries.
28. **York:** A royal house of England, which fought against the House of Lancaster in the Wars of the Roses.
29. **Lancaster:** A royal house of England, which fought against the House of York in the Wars of the Roses.
30. **Tudor:** The royal dynasty of England from 1485 to 1603.
31. **Ashikaga:** The Japanese shogun family, which ruled Japan from the 14th to the 16th centuries.
32. **Tokugawa:** The last ruling shogun family of Japan, which ruled from the 17th to the 19th centuries.
33. **Yi:** The royal family of Korea, which ruled from the 14th to the 19th centuries.
34. **Qing:** The last ruling dynasty of China, which ruled from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
35. **Ming:** The ruling dynasty of China before the Qing dynasty.
36. **Song:** A Chinese dynasty that ruled for over three centuries.
37. **Han:** A dynasty that ruled China for over four centuries.
38. **Jodhpur:** A royal family of Rajasthan, India, known for its grand palaces and forts.
39. **Maratha:** The rulers of the Maratha Empire, a powerful Hindu empire in India in the 17th and 18th centuries.
40. **Mughal:** A powerful dynasty that ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
41. **Ghaznavid:** A dynasty that ruled over Persia and parts of India, known for its military prowess.
42. **Ottoman:** The ruling dynasty of the Ottoman Empire, which controlled much of the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Europe for centuries.
43. **Safavid:** A dynasty that ruled Persia from the 16th to the 18th centuries, known for its Shi'a Islam beliefs.
44. **Mameluke:** A dynasty that ruled Egypt and Syria from the 13th to the 16th centuries.
45. **Alawite:** The ruling family of Syria, descended from the Alawite sect of Islam.
46. **Hashemite:** The royal family of Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, descended from the Prophet Muhammad.
47. **Pahlavi:** The ruling dynasty of Iran from 1925 to 1979, established by Reza Shah Pahlavi.
48. **Qajar:** The ruling dynasty of Persia from 1785 to 1925.
49. **Zulu:** A powerful tribal kingdom in South Africa, known for its warrior culture.
50. **Ashanti:** A powerful kingdom in Ghana, known for its gold trade and its strong military.
51. **Bantu:** A large group of African ethnicities, with numerous royal families scattered across the continent.