There are a number of rich and affluent people in the world who have amassed their fortunes through a variety of industrious and innovative means.
However, there is an even wealthier class of people whose money has been passed down over generations.
Referred to as “old money,” these last names often denote nobility or significant riches.
Many of these names date back to the early days of America when wealthy landowners and merchant families had surnames that reflected their wealth and status.
These days, the descendants of these families continue to enjoy high levels of wealth and privilege.
What Are Old Money Last Names?
“Old money” is a term used to describe families that have been wealthy for many generations.
There are a few things that tend to characterize old money surnames.
Many of these families can be traced back to specific places in the world, often with a long and winding history.
Old money families typically have accumulated wealth over generations, through businesses, banking, or land ownership.
They usually have a large estate, are financially successful for many years, and are philanthropic.
While there are many benefits to being from an old-money family, there are also some drawbacks.
One of the main drawbacks is that it can be difficult to fit in with others who are not from old money backgrounds.
Here, we take a look at some of the most famous old money last names.
If you liked our article about old money first names, you’ll love this one even more.
Old Money Last Names UK
There are many English surnames which are associated with aristocracy and therefore old money.
Essentially, these are the last names of dukes, earls, viscounts, marquees, and other members of the aristocracy.
The most notable of these is probably “Windsor”- which is the British royal family’s last name.
In 1917, George V adopted Windsor as both the name of the dynasty and the surname of his family.
This was a radical change, as previously, members of the British Royal Family had no surname.
Before that, the royal family members were identified by the name of the dynasty to which they belonged and the names of dynasties tended to change.
Some other old money English surnames include “Tottenham” and “Coventry.”
Both of these names are derived from locations in England.
Here are some old money last names from the United Kingdom.
RELATED: Over 300 Rich Girl Names Unique Rich Boy Names Names that Mean Wealth
Old Money Surnames UK
- Baring
- Bentinck
- Boyle
- Browne
- Bruce
- Cambell
- Cappell
- Carnegie
- Cavendish
- Cecil
- Chadwick
- Charteris
- Chichester
- Churchill
- Clinton
- Compton
- Coventry
- Cooper
- Courtenay
- Douglas
- Erskine
- Fane
- Fielding
- FitzGerald
- FitzRoy
- Fitzalan-Howard
- Gordon
- Gordon-Lennox
- Graham
- Grosvenor
- Hamilton
- Hatton
- Hay
- Herbert
- Howard
- Humphries
- Innes-ker
- Lennox
- Lumley
- Manners
- Montagu
- Murray
- Paget
- Percy
- Ramsay
- Russell
- Schroder
- Scots
- Seymour
- Sinclair
- Somerset
- Spencer
- Stanley
- Sutherland
- Talbot
- Thynn
- Tottenham
- de Vere Beauclerk
- Windsor
Benefits Of Having An Old Money Last Name
People may favor upper class sounding last names for a variety of reasons.
Some might say that having an old money surname gives you credibility and respectability.
Others might believe that it opens up opportunities for you that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Still, others might think that it just makes life easier.
Whatever the reason may be, it’s clear that people tend to favor rich-sounding surnames.
American Old Money Last Names
In America, there are many old money families whose names one would not expect.
Last names like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Carnegie are often thought of as being old money, but in their time, they were the nouveau-rich.
Many of them had just acquired fortune and were the children of peasants, so they were looked down upon by the actual upper class and were rarely invited to the table.
The “real” American old money families earned their fortune (and prominence) long before the American revolution as merchants, slave traders and ship owners.
During the colonial period, some of their forefathers were even granted enormous expanses of territory by the Crown.
Their surnames have been passed down for decades, evoke a certain level of respect and admiration and they remain among America’s wealthiest individuals.
Take a look at some of the most prominent old money last names in America.
American Old Money Surnames
These are the “true” American old money families that made their fortunes and gained renown before the American revolution.
- Astor
- Byrd
- Cabot
- Carter
- Du Pont
- Forbes
- Griswold
- Harrison
- Hartwick
- Lowell
- Pitcairn
- Randolph
- Roosevelt
- Van Leer family
Newer American Old Money Last Names
Many of these were prominent New York families that either owned great expanses of land were influential bankers, or founded very successful businesses.
Their wealth has been passed down from generation to generation making them the new old money.
- Bayard
- Betchel
- Busch
- Cargill-MacMillan
- Chanler
- Coors
- Cushing
- De Peyster
- De Young
- Donnelley
- Dorrance
- Ford
- Goelet
- Goldman-Sachs
- Haas
- Havemeyer
- Hawthorne
- Hearst
- Huntington
- Irvine
- Lauder
- Livingston
- Mars
- McCoy
- Mellon
- Milliken
- Morgan
- Pruitt
- Pulitzer
- Reyes
- Rhinelander
- Rockefeller
- Rothchild
- Rutherfurd
- Schermerhorn
- Schulz
- Schuyler
- Scripps
- Shea
- Stryker
- Stuyvesant
- Van Cortlandt
- Van Doren
- Walton
- Welser
- Whitney
- Winthrop
European Old Money Last Names
With the exception of royal dynasties and land-owning nobles, the wealthiest families in Europe have been:
- Bardi (Italy)
- Baring (Germany)
- Birla (India)
- Borghese (Italy)
- Delonghi (Italy)
- Fugger (German)
- Gondi (Italy)
- Grimaldi (Monaco)
- Habsburg (European)
- Medici (Italy)
- Oppenheimer (South Africa)
- Van Rensselaer (Dutch)
- Welser (Europe)
To Wrap Things Up
This article has looked at several old money last names.
While some of these surnames may not have the same prestige as they did a few hundred years ago, they still carry an air of sophistication and wealth.
Use this information to add a touch of class to your writing, to impress your friends, or simply to sound smarter at parties!
Looking for more names with a similar aesthetic, then check out our list of favorite dark academia names.