Popular surnames in Europe. What are the most common surnames in Europe? The royal dynasty of the Kobylin-Koshkins
Onomastics is a fascinating area of linguistics concerned with the study of the history and origin of proper names. This map is of an onomastic nature: We are going to take a look at the most common surnames in European countries and their meanings...
The coloring of the map is based on the following scheme:
Red - names based on properties, such as being big or new.
Brown - titles based on profession (usually father)
Blue - names are originally based on the father's name
Light blue - names based on place of origin
Green - names based on the natural object of the family name
AND WHAT THEY MEAN:
Surnames-translation
There are a few things to note and clarify the contents of this map: Surnames themselves are rare in Iceland. Instead, its citizens still use the ancient Scandinavian system, in which a child inherits his father's name as his family name (Thus, the family name of the son of an Icelandic man named Jon would be Jonsson, literally the son of Jon). We can still see remnants of this system in other Nordic countries, where names ending in -son are common, but now proper family names are not inherited by children, no matter what their parents' first names were.
Note also that when there are two completely different linguistic communities within the same country, then family names for both communities are included whenever it was possible to find the necessary data. This is the case in Belgium (two names for the Dutch and French speaking parts), in Estonia (with Russian and Estonian names), and in Switzerland, where data are found only for the German and Italian speaking parts, not for the French speaking part...
PS
Caused a little surprise and comments on the map: In the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika - Zemaitija) the most popular was the Slavic surname, and not at all Samogitian (Baltic), although "Balticized". In the Republic of Belarus, she turned out to be "Russian" (Ivanov), and not "Belarusian (Litvin)" in -ich or -sky. In Moldova, the surname is remarkable in that it shows belonging to the Russians. I thought that in Ukraine the surname associated with Koval (Blacksmith) would be the most popular, but it turned out that Melnik ... In Latvia and Estonia, the surnames turned out to be "Wooden": Little Birch and Oak.In France, the most popular surname was associated with the god Mars. And Slovakia, it turned out to be in honor of the old Croatia (White Croats).And in the end, a whole Balkan cycle of "priest-Christian" surnames: Romania, Greece, Montenegro, Bosnia ...
PPS By the most popular surname in Russia. Smirnov is not Peaceful, but Humble (Obediant) ...
The creator of this miracle card Czech linguist Jakub Marian greatly surprised. For example, it turned out that in Russia (which from time immemorial has been kept on Ivanovs), most of all people named Smirnov. Is it possible that revolutions, wars and unsuccessful reforms did break the back of the Russian people and did they resign themselves to their fate?
Doctor of Philology comments on the situation Anatoly Zhuravlev, Head of the Department of Etymology and Onomastics of the Institute of the Russian Language of the Russian Academy of Sciences (onomastics is a branch of linguistics that studies proper names).
THE MYSTERY OF IVAN SUSANIN
This work does not inspire much confidence in me, - says Anatoly Fedorovich. - Marian takes information from the most diverse sources. And it is completely unclear how these results were obtained. I'm not at all sure that in Ukraine the surname Melnik really occupies a leading position, ahead of, say, Shevchenko, Kovalenko, Kravchenko, Tkachenko or Boyko. Various sources based on censuses give a significant discrepancy. In relation to four-lingual Switzerland, the author found information only about German and Italian surnames. At the same time, the surname Bianchi in Switzerland “competes” with Müller in terms of occurrence, although there are only 10% of Italo-Swiss in the country! Here, Martin is clearly bad at math ...
In Russia, Marian brought Smirnov to the champions. He relied on some Russian research. But a number of domestic linguists still give the palm to Ivanov. Who has more arguments?
in favor of the Ivanovs. We have compiled a list of the 500 most common Russian surnames. The statistics were based on relatively little material. They counted telephone directories of some cities in Russia, library catalogs, lists of applicants for several Moscow universities, and so on. According to our data, the top three are Ivanov, Smirnov and Kuznetsov (see TOP-20).
Why did the surname Smirnov become so widespread? After all, this is a derivative of a quality that does not seem to be in the Russian character ...
The surname is derived from the nickname Smirna, most likely given to a non-crying baby. In the conditions of the village, the child's home nickname quickly went beyond the family and became the property of the environment. It should be added that the surname Smirnov is distributed unevenly in Russia, prevailing in the northern Volga region. There, in some places, she is ahead of the surname Ivanov in terms of occurrence.
- They say that the peasants in the old days did not have surnames. But what about Ivan Susanin?
This, apparently, is not a surname, but a nickname, moreover, from the mother's name Susanna (on this basis, a version arose that Ivan Susanin did not have a father, hence such a strange "surname" - auth.). I remember that in Gurzuf, where I come from, ten or fifteen years ago Nikitin Street appeared. The natives for a long time could not understand who it was. And this is the merchant Afanasy Nikitin, who went “over the three seas” to India (on the way back he took refuge from the storm in the Gurzuf Bay). But in fact, Nikitin is not his surname, but his patronymic. The officials just didn't know it. It should have been called "Afanasy Nikitin Street" (de facto "Afanasy Nikitich without a family name"). Same with Susan. In the old days our situation resembled that of Iceland; there "surnames" can only be assigned to celebrities - writers, actors, and I'm not sure if they are passed on to children. Russians had generic names that converged with modern surnames, but only in well-born families (starting with the Ruriks). And it was more of a respectful tradition than direct legislation.
WHERE IN THE COUNTRY FOOLS
Abusive surnames Fools, Zlydnev, Gadyuchkin, etc. Where did they come from? Given as a punishment? Is it possible for someone to take such a surname of their own free will?
Surnames like Fools do not necessarily refer to the actual properties of the carriers (more precisely, their ancestors). The pre-Christian names Fool, Fear, Toad, Dislike (a), Nekras, Oboldui, Scoundrel could be given as scaring away evil spirits, protecting the child from the attention of evil spirits. The aesthetics of a proper name allowed such impartial naming.
Among the leaders of our state, there are many people with a surname ending in -in. Lenin, Stalin, Yeltsin... Does this mean something to specialists?
I think it's a coincidence. Moreover, Lenin and Stalin are underground nicknames, and not surnames in their true capacity. With Stalin, and so everything is clear. Lenin is an acting surname, rather a bad-tasting pseudonym, from a female diminutive name, like Katin, Anin, Svetin, Lyalin. And not at all from the great Siberian river, and even more so not in memory of the Lena massacre. There were about reverse examples: Skryab-in was renamed Molot-ov-a. So there is no trend here.
TOP-20 Russian surnames
1. Ivanov 1.000*
2. Smirnov 0.7421
3. Kuznetsov 0.7011
4. Popov 0.5334
5. Vasiliev 0.4948
6. Petrov 0.4885
7. Sokolov 0.4666
8. Mikhailov 0.3955
9. Novikov 0.3743
10. Fedorov 0.3662
11. Morozov 0.3639
12. Volkov 0.3636
13. Alekseev 0.3460
14. Lebedev 0.3431
15. Semenov 0.3345
16. Egorov 0.3229
17. Pavlov 0.3226
18. Kozlov 0.3139
19. Stepanov 0.3016
20. Nikolaev 0.3005
* - occurrence rate. Relatively speaking, for every 1,000 Ivanovs there are 742 Smirnovs, 701 Kuznetsovs, and so on.
(According to the Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
FROM THE HISTORY OF THE QUESTION
The royal dynasty of the Kobylin-Koshkins
The citizens of Veliky Novgorod were the first to acquire surnames in Rus'. The earliest mention of Russian surnames dates back to 1240, when the chronicler among the soldiers of Alexander Yaroslavich who died in the Battle of the Neva names the names “Kostyantin Lugotinits, Guryata Pineshchinich”. Then, in the XIV-XV centuries, the names of the Moscow specific princes and boyars appeared. Surnames were formed either from the name of the inheritance (Vorotynsky, Obolensky, Vyazemsky) or from a nickname. But even here everything was quite confusing. So the royal dynasty of the Romanovs, only by a miracle at the last moment, acquired a harmonious "brand". And there was a high probability that Russia would be ruled by representatives of the royal house of the Kobylins-Koshkins. The founders of the Romanov family were Andrei Ivanovich Kobyla and Fyodor Andreevich Koshka Kobylin, who lived in the 14th century. Much later, Romanoviches began to be called Anastasia (the first wife of Ivan the Terrible) and her brother Nikita. They were called, of course, in honor of their father Roman. And already the descendants of Nikita acquired the name of the Romanovs ...
Peasants did not have surnames until the 19th century. With the exception of residents of northern Russia, the former Novgorod lands. For example, Mikhailo Lomonosov arrived in Moscow already with a surname. Surnames were also acquired in relatively independent Cossack settlements. And most of the peasants of Central Russia received surnames only after the abolition of serfdom in 1861. However, most of the villagers had "street" nicknames. After all, it was necessary for fellow villagers to somehow distinguish from each other numerous Ivanovs or Nikolaevs? And often giving a surname came down to the official recognition of a street nickname.
How many people, so many opinions. For this reason, it is impossible to say exactly which are ugly and which are beautiful foreign surnames. All of them contain certain information; when translated into our language, they can mean some kind of craft, the name of plants, animals or birds, belong to a geographical area. Each country has its own euphonious surnames, so you need to choose the best of them for each region separately.
What surnames can be called beautiful?
Most people are proud of their family name, although there are those who are not averse to changing it to a more harmonious one. Each country has its own surnames, but their origin is almost the same. The family received a personal name on behalf of its founder, his nickname, occupation, availability of land, belonging to some kind of status. Animals and plants are also often found. Nevertheless, we choose the most beautiful foreign surnames according to their euphony, and not according to the meaning of the content, which is not always known to us. In some cases, the name of the genus begins to please if its bearer is the idol of millions, a historical figure who has done something good and useful for mankind.
Aristocratic surnames
Noble families always sounded solemn, proud and high-flown. Rich people were proud of their origin and noble blood. Beautiful foreign surnames are mainly found among the descendants of noble families, and people who left a significant mark on history should also be included here: writers, artists, designers, composers, scientists, etc. The names of their genera are harmonious, often heard, so people are imbued with sympathy for them.
In England, the names of earls and wealthy nobles can be attributed to the beautiful: Bedford, Lincoln, Buckingham, Cornwall, Oxford, Wiltshire, Clifford, Mortimer. In Germany: Munchausen, Fritsch, Salm, Moltke, Rosen, Siemens, Isenburg, Stauffenberg. In Sweden: Fleming, Yllenborg, Kreutz, Gorn, Delagardie. In Italy: Barberini, Visconti, Borgia, Pepoli, Spoleto, Medici.
Surnames derived from the names of birds, animals, plants
From the world of flora and fauna, many euphonious surnames have come that cause tenderness. Their owners were mainly people who liked certain animals, birds, plants, or they were similar in appearance or character. There are a huge number of such examples in Rus': Zaitsev, Orlov, Vinogradov, Lebedev, there are also in other countries. For example, in England: Bush (bush), Bull (bull), Swan (swan).
Beautiful foreign surnames are often formed on behalf of the ancestor: Cecil, Anthony, Henry, Thomas, etc. A lot of names are associated with a specific area with which the founders were associated: Ingleman, Germain, Pickard, Portwine, Kent, Cornwall, Westley. Of course, a huge group of family names are those associated with professions and titles. Some surnames arose spontaneously. If they evoke positive associations in people, then they can be attributed to beautiful, harmonious and successful, because they are greeted by clothes, so a good generic name helps many people to win over when they meet.
Spanish euphonious surnames
In Spaniards, family names are mostly double, they are connected by particles "y", "de", a hyphen or written with a space. The father's surname is written first, and the mother's surname is written second. It should be noted that the particle "de" indicates the aristocratic origin of the founder. Spanish law provides for no more than two given names and no more than two surnames. When getting married, women usually leave their family names.
Beautiful male foreign surnames are not uncommon for Spaniards. Fernandez is considered one of the most common, Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Sanchez, Martinez, Perez are not inferior in attractiveness to her - they all came from names. The harmonious Spanish surnames also include Castillo, Alvarez, Garcia, Flores, Romero, Pascual, Torres.
french beautiful surnames
Among the French names of childbirth, there are often beautiful surnames for girls. Foreign states acquired permanent names at about the same time as Rus'. In 1539, a royal decree was issued obliging every Frenchman to acquire a personal name and pass it on to his descendants. The first surnames appeared among the aristocrats, they were passed from father to son even before the issuance of the aforementioned decree.
Today, double family names are allowed in France, and parents can also choose which surname the child will have - mother's or father's. The most beautiful and common French genus names are: Robert, Perez, Blanc, Richard, Morel, Duval, Fabre, Garnier, Julien.
German common surnames
Beautiful foreign surnames are also found in Germany. In this country, they began to form back in those days, people had nicknames, consisting of the place of birth of a person and his origin. Such surnames provided comprehensive information about their carriers. Often nicknames indicated the type of activity of a person, his physical shortcomings or virtues, moral qualities. Here are the most popular surnames in Germany: Schmidt (blacksmith), Weber (weaver), Mueller (miller), Hoffmann (yard owner), Richter (judge), Koenig (king), Kaiser (emperor), Herrmann (warrior), Vogel (bird ).
Italian surnames
The first Italian surnames appeared in the 14th century and were common among noble people. The need for them arose when there were many people with the same names, and yet it was necessary to somehow distinguish them. The nickname contained information about the place of birth or residence of a person. For example, the ancestor of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci lived in the city of Vinci. Most Italian surnames were formed due to the transformation of descriptive nicknames, and they end in. There is an opinion that the most beautiful foreign names and surnames are in Italy, and it’s hard to disagree with this: Ramazzotti, Rodari, Albinoni, Celentano, Fellini, Dolce, Versace, Stradivari.
English beautiful surnames
All English family names can be conditionally divided into four groups: nominal, descriptive, professional and official, by place of residence. The first surnames in England appeared in the 12th century and were the privilege of the nobility, in the 17th century absolutely everyone already had them. The most widespread group is made up of genealogical names of genera derived from personal names, or combinations of the names of both parents. Examples include: Allen, Henry, Thomas, Ritchie. In many surnames there is a prefix "son", meaning "son". For example, Abbotson or Abbot "s, that is, Abbot's son. In Scotland, "son" denoted the prefix Mac-: MacCarthy, MacDonald.
Beautiful foreign female surnames are often found among English family names derived from the place where the founder of the family was born or lived. For example, Surrey, Sudley, Westley, Wallace, Lane, Brook. Many euphonious surnames indicate the occupation, profession or title of the founder: Spencer, Corner, Butler, Tailor, Walker. Family names of a descriptive type reflect the physical or moral qualities of a person: Moody, Bragg, Black, Strong, Longman, Crump, White.
All genus names are unique and attractive in their own way. It should be remembered that it is not the surname that paints the person, but the person the surname. Studying the history of the emergence of certain family names is a very interesting and exciting activity, during which many secrets of individual families are revealed. There are beautiful and harmonious surnames in any country, but for each person they are different. Basically, I like those generic names that are consonant with the name.
European surnames boast pedigrees that go back hundreds of years. The fates of aristocrats are often intertwined with historical events. Many representatives of noble families influenced the policy of states. Kings and emperors listened to their opinion.
1. Medici (VIII century)
One of the most famous families. The name of the oligarchic clan is associated with Florence, which was ruled by its representatives in the XIII-XVIII centuries. Later, the influence of the Medici spread to Tuscany. Four members of this family became the bearers of the title of Pope.
The clan often played at the intersection of the interests of the masses and representatives of noble families. This allowed him to achieve political power and the love of the people. The most successful bearers of the surname are Cosimo de' Medici and Lorenzo de' Medici. Both of them were politicians.
Also, the family became famous for patronage. The current head of the house is the president of the International Medici Association, which is dedicated to the protection of art, literature and science. Ottaviano Medici pays great attention to the glorification of his ancestors.
2. Wettins (IX century)
House Wettin, without exaggeration, is the most extensive in Europe. The Windsor and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha branches of the family are represented by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and King Philip of Belgium.
The family estate Castle Wettin is located in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. Members of the clan wore high titles throughout the existence of the family name. Among them were kings and margraves, the Elector of the Roman Empire and the Duke of Warsaw, the Emperor of India and the Tsar of Bulgaria. Such a family could not but influence political events in Europe.
3. Habsburgs (X century)
In the Middle Ages, there was no more powerful royal house than the Habsburgs. His forefathers were humble property owners in Alsace and Northern Switzerland. By the end of the 13th century, they rule Austria and are considered skilled diplomats. Members of this family at different times are the rulers of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, the Kingdom of Naples and even Mexico.
The territories subject to the family are so vast that the Habsburg crown is called the rulers on whom the sun never sets. At the end of the 18th century, the Habsburgs became related to the Romanovs. Today, the genus is not so influential.
4. Zähringens (XI century)
The Swabian family of Tseringen was founded by Berthold I. The family held influential positions in Germany. For a century, the Zähringens were dukes and margraves, electors of the lands of Germany. The most extensive possessions of the family are represented by the Baden House. The favor of Napoleon allowed the native of the family to advance. Since then, a string of successful marriages has made them part of many royal and royal families. Our contemporaries from the Zähringen family own castles in Rastatt and Karlsruhe.
5. Liechtensteins (XII century)
The owner of a small Liechtenstein castle, located in the south of Vienna, is the ancestor of a noble family. By the 16th century, this baronial family had grown stronger and gained the opportunity to influence the territories of Moravia, Bohemia, Austria and Silesia. Even the Habsburgs borrowed from the Liechtensteins for a while.
In 1719 the family bought out two small fiefs from the bankrupt owners of Hohenems. They were located on the Swiss border. the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire recognized that the head of the family, Anton Florian, was a prince. Its sovereign dignity was the reason for the emergence of the Principality of Liechtenstein on the European map. Today it is run by the son of the head of the Liechtenstein House, Prince Hans-Adam II.
6. Grimaldi (XII century)
Consul of Genoa Grimaldo Canella became the ancestor of this family. Propapal policy helped the family to occupy a high position for several centuries. But the dislike of the people and enmity with the Ghibellines caused the clan to be expelled from their native city twice.
After that, the Grimaldi settled in Monaco. Spain provided them with security. Recognizing vassalage, the family found a second home here. Prince Albert II of Monaco is the head of the house today. Grace Kelly became his wife and mother of a noble house.
7. Hohenzollerns (XII century)
Burchard I is considered the founder of the Hohenzollern family. The surname of the dynasty comes from the name of a high rock in southwestern Swabia, on which the castle stood, which became the family nest. Translated from the South German language, the word "hohenzoller" means "high rock".
The Hohenzollerns brought Germany into the ranks of colonial powers, which had a powerful military-industrial potential. Emperor Wilhelm II, a representative of this noble family, became the last monarch of Germany.
One of the heirs to the Russian throne, Georgy Mikhailovich Romanov, is recognized by many monarchists as the heir to the primacy in the Russian Imperial House. He belongs to one of Hohenzollern branches, as he is the son of the Prussian prince Franz Wilhelm.
8. Bourbons (XIII century)
The royal house of the Bourbons is one of the most numerous clans in Europe. The branches of the orgomic genealogical tree of this genus are spread over the entire continent. The dynasty has different branches. Among them are the Spanish, French, Parma, Sicilian, Seville and Orleans ancestral branches.
Some noble branches have ceased. The older line of Bourbons from France witnessed and survived the French Revolution, as did the execution of Louis XVI. Its existence came to an end with the death in 1883 of the Comte de Chambord.
The Spanish Bourbons are still in power today. Its head is King Philip VI of Spain. The Parma branch is surmounted by the crown of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
9. Radziwills (XIV century)
There is a legend according to which the Radziwill family began from the high priest Lizdeyk, who took root at the court of the Lithuanian prince Gediminas. Later, when Prince Jagiello unleashed a war with Poland, members of the glorious family got the opportunity to become famous. There were legends about the courage of the Radziwills among the people. One of the representatives of the family swam across the river, grabbing the tail of his horse. His courage inspired all the warriors to victory. They followed the example of the brave and won.
The Radziwills were princes of the Holy Roman Empire, patrons of the arts, military leaders and owners of manufactories. They influenced the economy and politics of Europe. They were respected. Sophia Radziwill for righteous deeds after her death was canonized as an Orthodox saint. Today, one of the most prominent Radziwills is the financier Maciej Radziwill.
But there were also scammers. So, Ekaterina Radziwill, who lived in the 20th century, was charged with fraud. She spent several years in prison, which became a black stain on the reputation of the family.
10. Orange (XVI century)
The Princes of Orange were members of an oligarchic family whose influence extended to the territory of the United Kingdom of Luxembourg. Wilhelm I, the leader of the Dutch bourgeois revolution, became the ancestor of this dynasty.
In the 19th century, the family experienced several unpleasant decades associated with financial losses. After the death of King Willem II, Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna had to sell the property of the family in order to pay off creditors. The male line of the dynasty died out in 1890 after the death of Willem III. Now the house is represented by descendants in the female line.
The pedigree of European aristocratic families goes back hundreds of years. Noble houses actively influenced and influence world politics. Their destinies are also woven into the history of Russia.
1. Medici (VIII century)
The famous oligarchic Medici family is primarily associated with Florence, the rulers of which they became from the 13th to the 18th centuries. However, the Medici extended their influence to Tuscany. Moreover, four representatives of this family were honored to bear the title of Pope.
In their activities, the Medici often and very successfully played on the confrontation between the interests of the people and the nobility, thanks to which they were able to achieve political power. Cosimo de' Medici (1389-1464) and Lorenzo de' Medici (1394-1440) were perhaps the family's most successful politicians.
Another area where the Medici left behind a memory is patronage. So the modern head of the house of Ottaviano Medici, president of the Medici International Association for the Protection of Arts, Science and Literature, maintains the glory of his noble ancestors.
2. Wettins (IX century)
Wettin Castle, which is located on the Saale River (the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt) has become the family nest of one of the most influential houses in Europe - the Wettins. Members of this family, which originates in the Carolingian era, held a variety of titles - King of Saxony and Margrave of Meissen, Elector of the Holy Roman Empire and Duke of Warsaw, Emperor of India and Tsar of Bulgaria.
Representatives of the Wettin House have repeatedly influenced the geopolitical situation in Europe. Thus, the Wettins were the first in Germany to accept the Reformation, and 5 states under the rule of members of the Wettin house were among the founders of the German Empire.
3. Habsburgs (X century)
During the Middle Ages and the New Age, the Habsburgs, without exaggeration, were the most powerful royal house. From modest owners of castles in the north of Switzerland and in Alsace, the Habsburgs turn into the rulers of Austria by the end of the 13th century.
Thanks to skillful diplomacy, as well as the power of bribes and weapons, the influence of the Habsburgs is growing rapidly. At various times they rule the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, the Kingdom of Naples and even Mexico. In the 16th century, the territories subject to the Habsburg crown were rightly called "the empire on which the sun never sets."
In 1799, the Romanovs became related to the Habsburgs: the daughter of Paul I, Alexandra Pavlovna, became the wife of Archduke Joseph.
Representatives of various branches of the Habsburgs live today. So, in 2010, Ulrich Habsburg took part in the presidential elections in Austria, but, having not collected a sufficient number of voter signatures, he dropped out of the race.
4. Zähringens (XI century)
The foundation of the power of the ancient Swabian family of Tseringen was laid by Berthold I. Since his time, the family quickly reached an influential position. For almost 10 centuries, the Zähringens were dukes, margraves and electors of various German lands.
The Baden House, which represented the most extensive possessions of the Zähringen, received particular fame. During the Napoleonic Wars, the Margrave of Baden, thanks to his loyalty to Bonaparte, was able to raise his title to Elector. The successful marriage of the Elector's grandson earned the Baden princesses the title of Queen consort of Bavaria and Sweden. And Louise Maria Augusta, known in Russia under the name of Elizabeth Alekseevna, became the wife of Emperor Alexander I.
5. Liechtensteins (XII century)
9. Radziwills (XIV century)
According to legend, the Radziwill family goes back to the high priest Lizdeika, who lived at the court of the Lithuanian prince Gediminas. However, the family was destined to become famous later - at the time when Prince Jagiello started a war with Poland. Then the young Lithuanian Radziwill, grabbing his horse by the tail, swam across the Vistula with him, setting an example for the rest of the army.
The Radziwills were prominent figures in the history of Europe. They were the princes of the Holy Roman Empire, military leaders, owners of manufactories, patrons of the arts. It is interesting that Sofya Radziwill (1585-1612), the wife of Janusz Radziwill and a descendant of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Olgert, was canonized as an Orthodox saint.
In the 20th century, the famous family became infamous thanks to Ekaterina Radziwill (1858-1941), a writer and swindler who served time in prison for fraud. One of the most famous modern Radziwills is the Polish financier Maciej Radziwill.
10. Orange (XVI century)
The Princes of Orange were once members of the influential oligarchic family of the United Kingdom of Luxembourg. One of them, the leader of the Dutch bourgeois revolution, William I (1533-1584), was destined to become the founder of the dynasty.
By the middle of the 19th century, the well-being of the House of Orange had deteriorated so much that after the death of King Willem II, his wife, the Russian Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, had to pay her husband's debts from her own funds. However, after the sale of part of the property in Luxembourg, the Orange were able to maintain their fortune.
In 1890, with the death of Willem III, the Orange dynasty in the male line died out. At present, the house of Orange is represented by descendants in the female line: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his daughter Katarina-Amalia, Princess of Orange.
