Széchenyi or Széchényi is the name of a wealthy Hungarian noble family which produced many politicians, landowners and influential figures within

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. It is not to be confused with other

Szécsényi family The House of Szécsényi was a noble family of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 14-15th centuries. The ancestor of the family, Thomas descended from the ''gens'' ("clan") Kacsics. He was one of the most powerful barons of King Charles I of Hungary ...

that went extinct.

History

The family first appeared in the documents at the beginning of the 16th century and derived its name from the town of

Szécsény Szécsény is a town in Nógrád county, Hungary. Etymology The name comes from the Slavic ''sečь'': cutting (''Sečany''). 1219/1550 ''Scecen''. History The valley of the Ipoly and especially the area of that around Szécsény was inhabited ...

. First prominent member and founder of family wealth was György Széchenyi (1603-1695), who served as

Archbishop of Esztergom In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

. The family received the title of

Imperial Count Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

in 1697 by

Emperor Leopold I Leopold I (Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician; hu, I. Lipót; 9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria An ...

. In 1777 Count Ferenc Széchényi purchased the lands of

Sárvár Sárvár (german: Kotenburg or ; la, Bassiana; sl, Mala Sela) is a town in Vas County, Hungary. Sárvár lies on the banks of the River Rába at Kemeneshát. The population is nearly 16,000. The town has become a tourist centre of internatio ...

and

Felvidék Upper Hungary is the usual English translation of ''Felvidék'' (literally: "Upland"), the Hungarian term for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia. The region has also been ...

and from then on the family members bore the name ''Count Széchényi de Sárvár-Felsövidek''. The elder, non-comital branch of the family bore the name ''Széchényi-Szabó'' but became extinct in the first half of the 20th century.

Notable members

Ferenc Széchényi Count Ferenc Széchényi de Sárvár-Felsővidék (28 April 1754 in Fertőszéplak – 13 December 1820 in Vienna) was a Hungarian nobleman and statesman, known for founding the Hungarian National Library and the National Museum in Budapest. ...

(1754–1820), founder of the Hungarian National Library and National Museum in Budapest *

Gladys Vanderbilt Széchenyi Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, Countess Széchenyi (August 27, 1886 – January 29, 1965), was an American heiress from the Vanderbilt family and wife of Hungarian Count László Széchenyi. Early life She was born as Gladys Moore Vanderbilt i ...

(1886–1965), American heiress from the prominent American Vanderbilt family, and the wife of a Hungarian count, László Széchenyi *

István Széchenyi Count István Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék ( hu, sárvár-felsővidéki gróf Széchenyi István, ; archaically English: Stephen Széchenyi; 21 September 1791 – 8 April 1860) was a Hungarian politician, political theorist, and wri ...

(1791–1860), Hungarian politician, political theorist, and writer *

László Széchenyi Count László Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék (18 February 1879 – 5 July 1938) was an Austro Hungarian military officer, Imperial Chamberlain, diplomat and venture capitalist. His great-uncle was István Széchenyi. László Széchenyi mar ...

(1879–1938), Austro Hungarian military officer, Imperial Chamberlain, diplomat and venture capitalist * Beatrix Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék (1930–2021), Hungarian-German socialite and consort of the

Schönburg family The House of Schönburg (also ''Schumburg''; Czech: ''ze Šumburka'') is an old European noble family of princely and historically sovereign rank. It formerly owned large properties in present-day Saxony, Thuringia and Bohemia. As a former ruling a ...

{{surname Surnames of Hungarian origin Hungarian noble families