Victorian surnames have a sense of royal legacy.Whether it’s a common character in your play or a high ranking official, we’ve brought a well-curated list of Victorian family names that fit a wide range of personalities. You can also browse this list to check the rarest victorian names in the world today. People have long believed that the new developed surnames have their roots in the Victorian era surnames. One of the major reasons for the transfer of these surnames is the migration of families from one place to another. Most of the English people settled in Ireland but did not know the Gaelic language. This caused the alterations in the spellings of the Victorian last names, and gave them the form that we know today.The Victorian middle names have an unusual history. Many Victorians inherited their mother’s maiden name along with their surnames. This is how names like John Butterfield Smith were created. The people at that time also used some of these last names as the first name of their child. This gives you the liberty of choosing the Victorian last names listed below as you like.Try our last names to make your next play or story interesting with the characters of the Victorian era. For more names ideas, take a look at Steampunk Names and Vintage Old Hollywood Names.Fancy Victorian Last NamesAlthough some surnames have lost their glory, many of the common Victorian family names are still in use. Parents have the liberty of choosing the first and middle names of their children. However, the family names are passed on from generations, making them relevant in today’s age. Some of the fancy Victorian-era last names like MacQuoid and Ashley are mentioned in this list along with the other similar names.1. Acker, (English Origin) Derived from the Old English word æcer meaning “field”.2. Anderton, (Old English Origin) Derived from Old English words meaning “Eanred’s town”.3. Barney, (Old English Origin) Meaning “barley island or a barn”.4. Beckwith, (Old English Origin) A fancy surname from the Victorian era.5. Berrycloth, (English Origin) Taken from the name of Barrowclough a place in West Yorkshire.6. Birdwhistle, (Old English Origin) Taken from the name of one of the villages lost during the medieval times.7. Browning, (English Origin) Named after a tiny semi-automatic handgun in Europe.8. Camden, (English Origin) Named after Charles Pratt who sold lots from his manor.9. Churchill, (English Origin) Last name for people who lived near a church and hill.10. Clayden, (English Origin) Variation of the last name Claydon, based on a place-name.11. Compton, (Old English Origin) Meaning a “valley town”.12. Culpepper, (Middle English Origin) A spicer or herbalist in ancient times.13. Dankworth, (Old English Origin) Derived from the word meaning “Tancred’s farmstead”.14. Darlington, (English Origin) Means “the settlement of the people of Deornoth”.15. Davenport, (Old English Origin) Last names for people from the port in River Dane.16. Deighton, (English Origin) Taken from the name of a civil parish in North Yorkshire, England.17. Dryden, (Old English Origin) Taken from the words drȳġe (dry) and denu (valley).18. Eastaughffe, (English Origin) Meaning an “eastern town or homestead”.19. Eaton, (Old English Origin) Derived from the word meaning “homestead by an island or a river”.20. Elton, (Old English Origin) The Old English word meaning “Ella’s town”.21. Enfield, (Old English Origin) Last names of people who lived near a “lamb field”.22. Everly, (English Origin) Derived from the word meaning " wild boar and woodland clearing".23. Gastrell, (Old English Origin) Taken from the last name of the infamous Rev. Francis Gastrell.24. Garfield, (English Origin) An English surname which is thought to be habitational.25. Graham, (Scottish Origin) Last names of people belonging to a clan.26. Hastings, (English Origin) Taken from the Anglo-Norman personal name Hastang.27. Loughty, (Old English Origin) Taken from the name of a village in Tayside. 28. MacCaa, (Old English Origin) Means the “son of Aoh (ie a champion)".29. MacQuoid, (Scottish Origin) Affiliated with the people belonging to the MacKay clan.30. Pussett, (English Origin) Affectionately applies to a little ‘minx’ of a girl.31. Slora, (Gaelic Origin) Refers to the leader of a clan.32. Spinster, (Old English Origin) Derived from spinnan meaning “to spin thread”.33. Tumbler, (Old English Origin) An acrobat or acrobatic dancer recruited to a nobleman’s court.Rarest Victorian Last NamesYou would undoubtedly be surprised if you found a person with the surname ‘Bythesea.’ Yes, a family with such last names lived a time long ago! But now, such Victorian last names are almost extinct with none or a handful people by that name. Still, if your character dates back to the 12th or 13th century, you can use the surnames listed below. Some of these go back to the 11th century A.D.34. Abram, (Old English Origin) Derived from Abraham a prophet in the Old Testament.35. Ajax, (English Origin) Probably the last name was brought by Huguenot refugees who came from France.36. Bread, (Old English Origin) Occupational last name for bakers derived from “bregdan”.37. Bythesea, (English Origin) Pronounced as Bithersee, given to the people living near a seashore.38. Bytheseashore, (English Origin) Another last name similar to Bythesea.39. Cotton, (Old English Origin) Meaning a “cotton farmstead”.40. Edevane, (Old English Origin) ‘ead’ means “prosperity or happiness”.41. Farley, (English Origin) Victorian-era last names meaning “fern woodland”.42. Fernsby, (Old English Origin) Derived from the old English words meaning “fern farmstead”.43. Miracle, (Old English and Latin Origin) Derived from the first name Mauritius meaning “dark”.44. Relish, (Old French Origin) Derived from relaisse meaning “flavor or taste”.45. Villin, (Old English Origin) Refers to the commoners of a place.Victorian Last Names Taken From PlacesMost of the Victorian-era surnames in the family tree were taken from the places where their ancestors lived. When you look at the family tree of a dozen individuals, the names listed below would be very commonly traced back to different places. Choose one of the last names from the Victorian age depending on the place they originated from. 46. Ainsley, (English Origin) People coming from Nottinghamshire, Annesley, or Ansley in England.47. Allerton, (English Origin) People belonging to the neighborhood of the Bronx.48. Altham, (English Origin) Surname of residents of a village in Lancashire, England.49. Anstey, (English Origin) People living in a village of the same name in England.50. Appleton, (English Origin) Surnames of people from a village currently in Oxfordshire.51. Ashley, (English Origin) Taken from the name of a village in England.52. Astley, (English Origin) Name of a village in Chorley, Lancashire.53. Atterton, (English Origin) Derived from the name of a town in Greater Manchester, England.54. Axton, (English Origin) A topographical last name of people living in the village by the same name.55. Badger, (English Origin) Taken from the name of a village in Shropshire.56. Barlow, (English Origin) Derived from the names of many villages in north-eastern England.57. Barton, (English Origin) Village in Preston, Lancashire, England.58. Bentham, (English Origin) Village in Badgeworth civil parish, Gloucestershire, England59. Bentley, (English Origin) A place in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.60. Berkeley, (English Origin) City in the Alameda County, United States.61. Blakely, (English Origin) The county seat of Early County, United States62. Blythe, (English Origin) Taken from one of the many places in England.63. Bradley, (English Origin) Village in Cheshire, England.64. Bradshaw, (English Origin) Name of a place in Northern England.65. Brenton, (English Origin) The last name given to the people living in a particular place.66. Brixton, (English Origin) Taken from the name of a district of London.67. Burton, (English Origin) Village in Illinois, United States.68. Byron, (English Origin) City in Ogle County, United States.69. Carlton, (English Origin) Village located in Bedford borough, Bedfordshire.70. Chatham, (English Origin) Taken from a port’s name on the River Medway in England.71. Chester, (English Origin) A city in northwest England.72. Clare, (Irish Origin) Taken from the name of a county of Ireland.73. Colby, (English Origin) A place in Cumbria and Norfolk.74. Colgate, (English Origin) A family name for people from a village in Horsham district.75. Clifford, (English Origin) Family last name for people residing in a place in Herefordshire.76. Clinton, (English Origin) Family name taken from places named Glympton or Glinton.77. Cornish, (English Origin) Pertaining to a county of southwest England by the name Cornwall.78. Crawford, (English Origin) Taken from the name of an earldom in Scotland.79. Dalton, (English Origin) A city in Georgia, United States.80. Darb,y (English Origin) Taken from the place called Derby in Britain.81. Dayton, (English Origin) Taken from the name of a city in Texas.82. Denholm, (English Origin) Named after many places in Canada and the UK.83. Denver, (English Origin) Victorian-era last name taken from a town in Iowa.84. Digby, (English Origin) One of the Victorian surnames taken from a suburb of Exeter’s name.85. Dudley, (English Origin) A town in England.86. Easton, (English Origin) A place in West Berkshire district, Berkshire.87. Emsworth, (English Origin) Named after a small coastal town in Havant borough, England.88. England, (English Origin) Named after the country on the island of Great Britain.89. Everleigh, (English Origin) Victorian-era surnames of people living in a place in England.90. Hackney, (English Origin) Victorian-era last names of people from a town in eastern London.91. Hadleigh, (English Origin) Victorian surnames derived from a market town name in England.92. Haley, (English Origin) A surname of the person from any of several places in the US or Canada.93. Harlan, (English Origin) Victorian surnames for people from a place in Iowa.94. Hornsby (English Origin) Surnames of people from a place in England.95. Keene, (English Origin) Victorian surnames for people from a city in New Hampshire.96. Langley, (English Origin) Village in the south of Langley Mill in Derbyshire. 97. Marston, (English Origin) A settlement in North Warwickshire district in England.98. Middleton, (English Origin) A city and town in Dane County, Wisconsin.99. Northcott, (English Origin) Surnames of people from a village in Devon, England.100.Oakley, (English Origin) Surnames of people from Bedfordshire.Kidadl has lots of great names articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for Victorian Last Names then why not take a look at Names From The 1800s, or for something different take a look at Thief Names.
Victorian surnames have a sense of royal legacy.
