Could you be related to King Charles, Prince Harry and the rest of the British Royal Family? If you have one of the 35 last names identified in a new list from a United Kingdom-based genealogy website, several of which are common in the United States, you might be interested.
The list, compiled by MyHeritage, included family names such as Stewart, Russell, Spencer and Howard, which all rank in a list of 200 most frequently occurring surnames, according to the most recent relevant U.S. Census data.
Why It Matters
The British monarchy has long captivated Americans, and tracing a surname back to royal bloodlines can make that fascination personal. Such connections offer insights into migration, cultural heritage, and how dynastic influence rippled across the Atlantic.
What To Know
MyHeritage’s list included names spanning medieval royal houses (for example, Plantagenet, Capet, Valois and Bourbon), European dynasties (Habsburg, Romanov, Orange‑Nassau) and English aristocratic families (Spencer, Howard, Percy, Cavendish).
The full listStuart (Stewart)SpencerPlantagenetLancasterYorkTudorSavoy (Savoia, Savoie)de Medici (Medici)CapetValois (de Valois)Bourbon (de Bourbon)Orléans (d’Orléans, de Orléans)HowardSeymourPercyHabsburgBruceOrange-NassauOldenburgGlücksburgRomanovBaskervilleDarcy (d’Arcy)NevilleAstleyCapell (Capel)GreyFitzAlanCourtenayMannersRussellCavendishTalbotHanoverWindsor (Mountbatten-Windsor)
(L) Bryce Dallas Howard poses on the red carpet at the BAFTAs on February 18, 2024. (C) King Charles III in King’s Lynn, England, on July 23, 2025. (R) Kurt Russell in Beverly Hills, California,…
(L) Bryce Dallas Howard poses on the red carpet at the BAFTAs on February 18, 2024. (C) King Charles III in King’s Lynn, England, on July 23, 2025. (R) Kurt Russell in Beverly Hills, California, on September 27, 2024.
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Invision/AP/Indigo/Getty Images/MediaPunch/IPX/Vianney Le Caer/Max Mumby/Faye Sadou
A closer look at the names common in the U.S.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data on surnames, the most recent list of which is from 2010, several of the above 35 names appear.
There were 324,957 Stewarts recorded, and 36,540 Stuarts. Howard appeared 264,826 times, and Russell wasn’t far behind with 221,558 occurrences. Spencer was listed just short of 140,000 times.
Rarer names included Bruce, York, Lancaster and Seymour, all appearing between 25,000 and 55,000 times.
Names that appeared less than 500 times included Cavendish, Astley and Romanov.
And for those looking for the most direct link, there were 7,621 Windsors.
Celebrities with royal connections?
A number of famous Americans could claim a link to British aristocracy, per the MyHeritage list. Bryce Dallas Howard and her father Ron, for example, or perhaps Kristen Stewart or Kurt Russell.
What Happens Next
If you’re curious about whether your family name connects you to royalty or aristocracy, remember that many surnames were adopted by unrelated families over time, so a shared last name alone is not proof of lineage.
A good first step is to build your family tree. Start with yourself and work backward, carefully documenting each generation. This process grows quickly: just 10 generations back, you’ll have over 1,000 direct ancestors, and by twenty generations, more than a million. To strengthen your research, explore historical records such as census data, birth and death certificates, and marriage records, available through platforms like MyHeritage.