There was once a time where the blue-blooded nobility ruled the world. Now they are less important, but often crop up again in fantasy stories or historical accounts. And few things are more important to the nobility than their noble house names.
A noble dynasty wants to be enduring and pass on their name, so last names are crucial. These are usually derived from the region where a noble holds land. First names often come from famous ancestors or from a noble’s father.
Good Noble Names
The nobility is known as the upper crust of society, so their names need to come with an elegant and self-importance. For inspiration (or a shortcut), find yourself a list of historically powerful dynasties.
- Benoit de Granpré
- Robert Drummond
- Juan Arrazola
- Camus de Fresnel
- Bardin Cauchon
- Otto van Buxhoeveden
- Vladimir Yusupov
- Allard de Roye
Sofia Mendoza
A bold warrior-princess who led guerilla squads of cavalry to harass the invading armies of her foes.
- Bernier de Clermont-Tonnerre
- Ivan Menshikov
- Henry Pitt
- Carlos Lieven
- Boris Rostovich
- Abreo Thésart
Clovis von Decken
Appearing as a minor noble, he was in truth a brilliant spymaster who protected his family with a web of blackmail.
- Basil Khvostov
- Augusta von Solms
- Christina Gage
- Bastien de Perche
French Noble Names
In the long French struggle for power between the king and his nobles, an easy way to gain influence was marrying into the royal bloodline. Thus many French nobles share close ties with the king.
- Esme Plantier
- Lavigne de Saint-Géran
- Verne Le Jeune
- Margot de Gauthier
- Genevieve Lavoie
- Richard de Gretz
- Pascal de Chiny
- Landry Sieujac
Gouin de Saint-Simon
Seen as the picture of chivalry until it was revealed he committed adultery several times while away on military campaign.
- Moreau de Derux
- Leroy de Sarrebrück
- Elodie Riviere
- Lambert de Lastic
- Mattieu de Latilly
- Jourdain de Crécy
Heroux de Lorris
A jousting champion whose great hall was always full of succulent foods, since the baron was fond of lavish feasts.
- Guy d’Everux
- Laval de Noailles
- Fay de Rouvre
- Edouard Le Brune
English Noble Names
The nobility in England is a mix of Anglo-Saxon, French, German, and Gaelic influences as all of these peoples fought for control of the island. This has resulted in a unique mix of names.
- Harold Osborne
- Edmund Compton
- Arthur Cornwallis
- James Feilding
- Harald Glyn
- Archie Cadogan
- Geoffrey Livingston
- Andrew Russell
Ernest Curzon
Coming from a small border march, he rose through the ranks by pandering to the weak-willed king and snapping up extra titles.
- Alice Erskine
- Edward Fitzroy
- Charlotte Byron
- Margaret Hamilton
- Charles Holland
- Emma Brownlow
- Alfred Ryder
Elizabeth Fairfax
The royal treasurer of the Kingdom of Cymru, the first and last woman to hold the position before the kingdom was destroyed.
- John Gladstone
- Martha North
- Alexander Hood
German Noble Names
Originating from regional tribes and slowly mixing together, German nobles constantly seize their neighbor’s land and try to press inherited claims.
- Irmina Erbach
- Hubert Griffins
- Giselle von Reibnitz
- Dagmar Maltzahn
- Gilbert Varnhagen
- Frans Waldeck
- Agatha von Brunswick
- Everhardt Rothschild
Isla Humboldt
Called the Black Widow, she had four husbands in her lifetime, all of whom died suddenly, passing their wealth to her son.
- Delia von Saxe-Merseburg
- Horst Moltke
- Claudia von Lüneburg
- Hedwig von Lippe
- Karl von Castell
- Ahren von Ascania
- Gertrude von Galen
- Hildegarde Wied
Adrian Battenberg
An accomplished builder who poured any spare coin into the arts and architecture, and who gave his name to a famous museum.
- Ferdinand von Schoeler
- Everet Sponheim
History is full of great names for nobles, and this article offers only a small selection. Scroll through some historical sources for more ideas and you’ll find the perfect name. Did you find this article useful? If so, leave us a comment and share the article!
