Rothschild () is a name derived from the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "to the red shield", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by signs with different symbols or colors, not numbers. The name ''Rothschild'' in

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

means "red coat" (coat as in heraldic

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

). The Rothschild banking family's coat of arms features in the center of its

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and genealo ...

a red

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

People

The most notable family of people with this surname are descendants of

Mayer Amschel Rothschild Mayer Amschel Rothschild (23 February 1744 – 19 September 1812; also spelled ''Anschel'') was a German-Jewish banker and the founder of the Rothschild family, Rothschild banking dynasty. Referred to as a "founding father of international fin ...

who formed a financial dynasty and, in modern history, perhaps the wealthiest family by the scale of their private fortune. In

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, by royal

decree A decree is a law, legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, monarch, royal figure, or other relevant Authority, authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislativ ...

of 29 March 1814, all Danish Jews were obliged to adopt a surname after their town of residence. In the records, one family with residence in

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

took the name Rothschild, presumably because of the German pronunciation of the town's name. The mother of writer Meïr Aron Goldschmidt, Lea Rothschild (born 1797), was of that family. There are no indications that the Rothschilds of Roskilde had any relation with the other Rothschild families. The name is also carried by others, mostly

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium CE. They traditionally speak Yiddish, a language ...

, who are not related to members of the banking family.

People outside the banking family

* Abram M. Rothschild (1863–1902), American businessman and founder of A. M. Rothschild & Company Store * Abraham Rothschild (1854–1877), American traveling salesman and murderer of Diamond Bessie. * Alonzo Rothschild (1862–1915) parents unknown, son, John fared well in the travel industry, wrote the book "Honest Abe." *

Amalie Rothschild Amalie Rothschild (January 1, 1916 – November 4, 2001) was an American artist who lived and worked within the art community of Baltimore, Maryland. An accomplished painter and sculptor, she was also an art teacher, philanthropist, patron, an ...

(1916–2001), American artist * Bruce Lee Rothschild (born 1941), American mathematician * Daniel Rothschild (philosopher) (born 1979), American philosopher * Daniel Rothschild (general) (born 1946), Israeli major general * Dorothy Rothschild, better known as

Dorothy Parker Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles. Parker ros ...

(1893–1967), American poet and writer * Eva Rothschild (born 1971), Irish artist based in London * Friedrich S. Rothschild (1899–1995), German-Jewish psychiatrist and semiotician * Geoffrey Rothschild (born 1947), South African businessman, former chairman of

JSE Limited JSE Limited (previously the JSE Securities Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange) is the largest stock exchange in Africa. It is located in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, after it moved from downtown Johannesburg in 2000. In 2003 ...

. * Jean Maurice Rothschild (1902–1998), French furniture designer * Jeffrey J. Rothschild (b. 1954), American billionaire entrepreneur and business executive; Vice President of Infrastructure Software for Facebook. * Jonathan Rothschild (born 1955), American (Arizona) lawyer and politician, mayor of Tucson * Joseph Rothschild (1931–2000), American historian * Larry Rothschild (born 1954), American Baseball pitcher and manager * Louis F. Rothschild (1869–1957), founder of the defunct L.F. Rothschild merchant and investment banking firm * Lynn J. Rothschild (born 1957), American evolutionary biologist and astrobiologist * Michael Rothschild (born 1942), American economist, former dean at Princeton *

Michelle Rothschild-Patterson Michelle Rothschild-Patterson ( Rothschild; born November 17, 1951), also known as Sister Patterson, is known for her work in reality television and for being the mother of reality TV personality Tiffany Pollard, Tiffany "New York" Pollard, whom ...

(born 1951), American television personality better known as Sister Patterson * Robert Rothschild (1911–1978), Belgian diplomat (descendant of Amschel Moses Rothschild) * Samuel Rothschild (1899–1987), Canadian ice hockey player * Simon F. Rothschild (1861–1936), American businessman Chair Abraham & Straus * Victor Henry Rothschild (1835–1911), American businessman

People of the banking family

A

* Adèle von Rothschild (1843–1922), German socialite, daughter of Mayer Carl von Rothschild and wife of her 2nd cousin Salomon James de Rothschild * Adelheid von Rothschild (1853–1935), daughter of Wilhelm Carl von Rothschild * Albert Salomon Anselm von Rothschild (1844–1911), Austrian banker, son of Anselm von Rothschild * Alfred de Rothschild (1842–1918), English banker, son of Lionel de Rothschild * Alice Charlotte von Rothschild (1847–1922), Austrian socialite, daughter of Anselm von Rothschild * Aline Caroline de Rothschild (1867–1909), French socialite, daughter of Baron Gustave de Rothschild * Alphonse James de Rothschild (1827–1905), French businessman and philanthropist, son of James Mayer de Rothschild * Amschel Mayor James Rothschild (1955–1996), British businessman, son of Victor Rothschild * Amschel Mayer von Rothschild (1773–1855), German banker, son of Mayer Amschel Rothschild * Amschel Moses Rothschild (c. 1710–1755), German trader, father of Mayer Amschel Rothschild * Anselm von Rothschild (1803–1874), Austrian banker, son of Salomon Mayer von Rothschild * Anthony Gustav de Rothschild (1887–1961), British banker, son of Leopold de Rothschild * Anthony James de Rothschild (b. 1977), British businessman, son of Evelyn Robert de Rothschild * Anthony Nathan de Rothschild (1810–1876), British banker, son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild * Ariane de Rothschild (née Langner 1965), French banker, wife of Benjamin de Rothschild * Arthur de Rothschild (1851–1903), French socialite, son of Nathaniel and Charlotte de Rothschild

B

Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild Charlotte Béatrice de Rothschild (; 14 September 1864 – 7 April 1934) was a French socialite, art collector, and a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of France. Early life Charlotte, known as Béatrice, was born in Paris, ...

(1864–1934), French socialite and art collector, daughter of Alphonse James de Rothschild * Benjamin de Rothschild (1963–2021), Swiss banker, son of Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild * Bethsabée de Rothschild (1914–1999), Jewish philanthropist, daughter of Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild * Bettina Caroline de Rothschild (1858–1892, French socialite, daughter of Alphonse James de Rothschild, wife of her cousin Albert Salomon von Rothschild * Betty von Rothschild, Baronne de Rothschild (1805–1886), French socialite, daughter of

Salomon Mayer von Rothschild Salomon Mayer Freiherr von Rothschild (9 September 1774 – 28 July 1855) was a Frankfurt-born banker in the Austrian Empire and the founder of the Austrian branch of the prominent Rothschild family. Family Born as Salomon Mayer Rothschild in ...

, wife of her uncle

James Mayer de Rothschild Baron James Mayer de Rothschild (born Jakob Mayer Rothschild; 15 May 1792 – 15 November 1868) was a French banker and the founder of the French branch of the prominent Rothschild family. He was born in the Holy Roman Empire. Early life He ...

C

Carl Mayer von Rothschild Carl Mayer Freiherr von Rothschild (24 April 1788 – 10 March 1855) was a Frankfurt-born banker in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the founder of the Neopolitan branch of the prominent Rothschild family. Life and career Born as Kalman Ma ...

(1788–1855), German banker, son of Mayer Amschel Rothschild * Cécile de Rothschild (1913–1995), French socialite and friend of

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

, daughter of Robert Philippe de Rothschild *

Charles Rothschild Nathaniel Charles Rothschild (9 May 1877 – 12 October 1923) was an English banker and entomologist and a member of the Rothschild family. He is remembered for 'the Rothschild List', a list he made in 1915 of 284 sites across Britain that he c ...

(1877–1923), English banker and

entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

, son of Nathan, 1st Baron Rothschild * Charlotte de Rothschild (1825–1899), French socialite and painter, daughter of James Mayer de Rothschild, wife of her cousin Nathaniel de Rothschild * Charlotte von Rothschild (1819–1884), British socialite, daughter of Carl Mayer von Rothschild, wife of her first cousin Lionel de Rothschild * Charlotte Henriette de Rothschild (b. 1955), British singer, daughter of Edmund Leopold de Rothschild * Charlotte Nathan Rothschild (1807–1859), British socialite, daughter of

Nathan Mayer Rothschild Nathan Mayer Rothschild (16 September 1777 – 28 July 1836), also known as Baron Nathan Mayer Rothschild, was a British-German banker, businessman and finance, financier. Born in Free City of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, he was the third of ...

, wife of her first cousin Anselm von Rothschild

D

* David Mayer de Rothschild (b. 1978), British adventurer, ecologist, and environmentalist, son of Evelyn Robert de Rothschild * David René de Rothschild (b. 1942), French banker, son of Guy de Rothschild * Dorothy de Rothschild (née Pinto 1895–1988), English philanthropist, wife of James Armand de Rothschild

E

Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild Baron Edmond Adolphe Maurice Jules Jacques de Rothschild or Baron Edmond de Rothschild (30 September 1926 – 2 November 1997) was a French-Swiss banker, the founder of the Edmond de Rothschild Group in 1953. His investments extended to vineyards ...

(1926–1997), French-Swiss banker * Edmond James de Rothschild (1845–1934), French banker, son of James Mayer de Rothschild * Edmund Leopold de Rothschild (1916–2009), British banker, son of Lionel Nathan de Rothschild *

Édouard de Rothschild Baron Édouard Étienne Alphonse de Rothschild (; born 27 December 1957) is a businessman and part of the French branch of the Rothschild family. Early life and education Édouard de Rothschild was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He ...

(b. 1957), French businessman and equestrian, son of Guy de Rothschild * Edouard Alphonse de Rothschild (1868–1949), French financier, son of Alphonse James de Rothschild * Élie de Rothschild (1917–2007), French banker, son of Robert Philippe de Rothschild * Elisabeth de Rothschild (née de Chambure 1902–1945), French vintner, wife of Philippe de Rothschild * Emma Georgina Rothschild (b. 1948), British historian and professor, daughter of Victor Rothschild * Evelina de Rothschild (1839–1866), English socialite, daughter of Lionel de Rothschild, wife of her 2nd cousin Ferdinand James von Rothschild * Evelyn Achille de Rothschild (1886–1917), British banker, son of Leopold de Rothschild * Evelyn Robert de Rothschild (1931-2022), British financier, son of Anthony Gustav de Rothschild

F

* Ferdinand James von Rothschild (1839–1898), British politician and art collector, son of Anselm von Rothschild

G

* Guy de Rothschild (1909–2007), French banker, son of Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild

H

* Hannah Rothschild (b. 1962), British writer, businesswoman, philanthropist and documentary filmmaker. Daughter of Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild * Hannah de Rothschild, Countess of Rosebery (1851–1890), British philanthropist, daughter of Mayer Amschel de Rothschild * Hélène de Rothschild, better known as Hélène van Zuylen (1863–1947), French socialite and author, daughter of Salomon James de Rothschild

J

* Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild (1936–2024), British banker, son of Victor Rothschild * Jacqueline de Rothschild (1911–2012), French-born American chess and tennis player, daughter of Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild * James Armand de Rothschild (1878–1957), British politician and philanthropist, son of son of Edmond James de Rothschild *

(born Jakob Rothschild 1792–1868), German-French banker, son of Mayer Amschel Rothschild * Jeanne de Rothschild, née Stuart (1908–2003), British actress, wife of Baron Eugène Daniel von Rothschild

L

* Leonora de Rothschild (1837–1911), British socialite, daughter of

Lionel de Rothschild Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (22 November 1808 – 3 June 1879) was a British Jewish banker, politician and philanthropist who was a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of England. He became the first practising Jew to sit a ...

, wife of Alphonse James de Rothschild * Leopold de Rothschild (1845–1917), British banker and horse breeder, son of Lionel de Rothschild * Leopold David de Rothschild (1927–2012), British financier and musician, son of Lionel Nathan de Rothschild *

(1808–1879), British banker and politician, son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild * Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (1882–1942), British banker and politician, son of Leopold de Rothschild * Louis Nathaniel de Rothschild (1882–1955), Austrian baron, son of Albert Salomon von Rothschild * Lynn Forester de Rothschild (née Forester, b. 1954), American businesswoman, wife of Evelyn Robert de Rothschild

M

* Marie-Hélène de Rothschild (1927–1996), French socialite, granddaughter of Hélène de Rothschild and wife of Guy de Rothschild * Mathilde Hannah von Rothschild (1832–1924), German baroness and composer, daughter of Anselm von Rothschild, wife of her 2nd cousin Wilhelm Carl von Rothschild *

(1744–1812), German banker and founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty * Mayer Amschel de Rothschild (1818–1874), British politician, son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild * Miriam Rothschild (1908–2005), British naturalist and author, daughter of Charles Rothschild

N

* Nadine de Rothschild (née Lhopitalier; born 1932), French author and actress, wife of Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild *

(1777–1836), Jewish banker, son of Mayer Amschel Rothschild * Nathan Mayer Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild (1840–1915), British banker and politician, son of Lionel de Rothschild * Nathaniel de Rothschild (1812–1870), French banker, businessman, and wine maker, son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild * Nathaniel Meyer von Rothschild (1836–1905), Austrian socialite, son of Anselm von Rothschild * Nathaniel Philip Victor James Rothschild, 5th Baron Rothschild (born 1971), a British financier, son of Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild * Pannonica "Nica" Rothschild (1913–1988), jazz patroness and writer, daughter of Charles Rothschild

P

* Pauline de Rothschild (née Potter, 1908–1976), French writer and fashion designer, wife of Philippe de Rothschild * Philippe de Rothschild (1902–1988), French race car driver, screenwriter, producer, and wine grower, son of Henri de Rothschild *

Philippine de Rothschild Philippine Mathilde Camille, Baroness de Rothschild (22 November 1933 – 23 August 2014) was the owner of the French winery Château Mouton Rothschild. She acted under the stage name Philippine Pascal (imprinting on her paternal grandfather Henr ...

(1933–2014), French actress and wine grower, daughter of Philippe de Rothschild

S

* Salomon James de Rothschild (1835–1864), son of James Mayer de Rothschild *

(1774–1855), German banker, son of Mayer Amschel Rothschild * Serena Dunn Rothschild (née Dunn, 1935-2019), wife of Jacob, 4th Baron Rothschild

V

* Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild (1910–1990), a British biologist and cricketer, son of Charles Rothschild

W

Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, Baron de Rothschild, (8 February 1868 – 27 August 1937) was a British banker, politician, zoology, zoologist, and soldier, who was a member of the Rothschild family. As a Zionist leader, he wa ...

(1868–1937), British banker, politician, and zoologist, son of Nathan, 1st Baron Rothschild * Wilhelm Carl von Rothschild (1828–1901), German banker, son of Carl Mayer von Rothschild

Fictional characters

* Winston Rothschild III (fictional character from ''The Red Green Show'')

References

Bibliography

*Hanks, Patrick ''Dictionary of American Family Names'' Oxford University Press {{Surname Surnames of Jewish origin Yiddish-language surnames ru:Ротшильды