Royal Family Last Name: Windsor, Mountbatten-Windsor and Royal Surnames Elsewhere
The royal family last name explained: why British royals had no surname before 1917, how Windsor and Mountbatten-Windsor came about, why princes use names such as 'Wales' at school and in the army, and what other royal families use.
Last updated September 2026
Contents10
- Why royals did not need a surname
- Windsor: the name since 1917
- Mountbatten-Windsor: the surname since 1960
- Wales and other working surnames
- Andrew Mountbatten Windsor
- Royal family last names in other countries
- Royal house names through history
- When royals marry
- Titles instead of surnames
- Verdict: the royal family last name
The royal family last name is not a simple question. Many royals do not use a surname at all. Before 1917, British royals had only the name of their royal house. Today there is a house name, Windsor.
There is a surname, Mountbatten-Windsor. And there are working names taken from titles, such as Wales. This page explains each one. It also compares the British custom with other royal families.
TL;DR: George V made Windsor the name of the royal house and family in 1917. In 1960 Elizabeth II declared that descendants without royal titles would use Mountbatten-Windsor. Princes often use a name taken from a title, such as Wales, at school or in the forces. Other royal families vary. Japan's has no surname at all.
Why royals did not need a surname
For most of history, kings and princes were known by the lands they ruled, not by a family name. The Royal Family website notes that before 1917 British royals had no surname. They had only the name of the house or dynasty they belonged to. Monarchs signed with their first name alone, as they still do.
A house name usually came from the father's family. That is why Edward VII, son of Prince Albert, belonged to Albert's house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He did not belong to his mother's house of Hanover.
Windsor: the name since 1917
The 1917 change
Windsor adopted as house and family name, 17 July 1917.
Status: Reviewed.
Note: During the First World War, George V took Windsor as the name of both the royal house and the family. It replaced the German name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The Royal Family website says anti-German feeling drove the change. The name came from Windsor Castle.
Sources: The Royal Family, "The Royal Family name"; The Royal Family, "The House of Windsor".
This was the first time the British royal family had a surname in the ordinary sense. For the full story of the house, see house of Windsor.
Mountbatten-Windsor: the surname since 1960
Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten in 1947. Her surname in private law then became Mountbatten. After she became queen, she declared on 9 April 1952 that she and her children would be known as the house and family of Windsor. Debrett's records that the prime minister, Winston Churchill, advised this.
On 8 February 1960, the Queen made a new declaration in Council. Her descendants without the style of Royal Highness and the title of prince or princess would use the surname Mountbatten-Windsor. In practice the family has used the name more widely. Debrett's notes that Princess Anne married Mark Phillips in 1973. Her surname on the marriage certificate was Mountbatten-Windsor.
| Name | What it is | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor | Name of the royal house and family | 1917 | Reviewed |
| Mountbatten-Windsor | Surname for descendants of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip | 1960 | Reviewed |
| Names from titles (for example, Wales) | Working surnames taken from a parent's title | In use for decades | Reviewed |
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Wales and other working surnames
Many royals use the name of their parent's title where a surname is needed. Prince William and Prince Harry were known as William Wales and Harry Wales at school. The name came from their father's title, Prince of Wales. Harry served in the army as Captain Harry Wales.
These names come from titles, so they change when the title changes. Debrett's explains that such "surnames" come from the senior title of the person's father. It treats Mountbatten-Windsor as the official surname behind them.
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor
The name has recently taken on a new use. In October 2025, Buckingham Palace said the King had begun a formal process to remove his brother Prince Andrew's style, titles and honours. Andrew would be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. The family tree is on the family tree of Queen Elizabeth page.
Royal family last names in other countries
| Country | Royal house or family name | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | None | Imperial family members have no surname; a princess who marries out takes her husband's |
| Sweden | Bernadotte | The royal house, founded by Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, King Charles XIV John from 1818 |
| Netherlands | Orange-Nassau | The royal house; members use "van Oranje-Nassau" |
| Spain | Borbón (Bourbon) | King Felipe VI is Felipe de Borbón y Grecia |
| Monaco | Grimaldi | The princely family, which has ruled Monaco since the late 13th century with breaks |
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The pattern is similar across Europe. The royal house name works as a surname where one is needed. But in daily use, people know royals by first name and title.
Royal house names through history
Each British royal house took its name from a different source.
| House | Reigned | Where the name comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Plantagenet | 1154-1485 | Nickname of Geoffrey of Anjou, from the broom plant |
| Tudor | 1485-1603 | Owen Tudor, the Welsh grandfather of Henry VII |
| Stuart | 1603-1714 | The office of High Steward of Scotland |
| Hanover | 1714-1901 | The German electorate ruled by George I |
| Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | 1901-1917 | Prince Albert's German duchy |
| Windsor | 1917- | Windsor Castle |
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The story behind the oldest of these names is on the Plantagenet page.
When royals marry
People who marry into the royal family usually take titles, not a new surname. Catherine Middleton became Duchess of Cambridge when she married in 2011. She became Princess of Wales in 2022.
In Japan the rule runs the other way. When a princess marries a commoner, she leaves the imperial family and takes her husband's surname. Princess Mako did this when she married Kei Komuro in 2021.
Titles instead of surnames
Titles do much of the work a surname would do. Royal princes may get a dukedom when they marry. Harry became Duke of Sussex in 2018. For the ranks of the peerage below royal rank, from duke to baron, see noble ranks in order.
A home DNA test cannot link you to a royal line like this one. Our guide to the best DNA test for ancestry compares five kits and bundles. It also explains what they can and cannot show.
Verdict: the royal family last name
The royal family last name has two layers. The house name, Windsor, was fixed in 1917. The surname Mountbatten-Windsor was set out in 1960 for descendants who need one.
In daily life many royals use a name taken from a parent's title instead, such as Wales. Other monarchies follow their own customs. Japan's imperial family has no surname at all. For how monarchies work more broadly, see the monarchy hub.
Sources checked for this page
- The Royal Family, "The Royal Family name"
- Debrett's, "The Royal Surname"
- The Royal Family, "The House of Windsor"
- The Royal Family, "A statement from Buckingham Palace", 30 October 2025
- The Royal Court of Sweden, "The Bernadotte Dynasty"
- Royal House of the Netherlands, "Orange and Nassau"
- Britannica, "Grimaldi family"
Questions people also ask
What is the royal family's last name?
The house name is Windsor. The surname used by some of Elizabeth II's descendants is Mountbatten-Windsor. Many royals do not use a surname at all.
Why did the royal family change its name to Windsor?
In 1917, during the First World War, George V replaced the German-sounding house name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha with Windsor, after Windsor Castle.
Why was Prince William called William Wales at school?
Children of a Prince of Wales have often used 'Wales' as a working surname, taken from their father's title. Prince Harry served in the army as Captain Harry Wales.
Does the Japanese imperial family have a surname?
No. Members of Japan's imperial family have no surname. A princess who marries outside the family leaves it and takes her husband's surname.
What surname did Prince Philip use?
Before his marriage in 1947 he became a British subject and took the name Mountbatten, the anglicised form of his mother's family name, Battenberg.
Does King Charles III have a surname?
Like most monarchs he rarely needs one. The house name is Windsor, and under the 1960 declaration the surname Mountbatten-Windsor applies to the Queen's descendants who need one.