100 Unique Royal Nicknames
Monarchs have always possessed other titles aside from their official ones.
Such nicknames range from “Bloody Mary” to “The Sun King,” giving a glimpse into the personality, reign, and the perceptions of those whom they ruled.
Some names have been earned through great deeds, some infamy, while a few others remain terms of endearment from close friends.
In this article, we will look at the inspiration behind the most interesting royal nicknames in history, highlighting what they say about their respective monarchs.
royal nicknames
Alexander the Great – Macedonian king known for his vast conquests.
Cyrus the Great – Founder of the Persian Empire, known for tolerance and leadership.
Attila the Hun (“Scourge of God”) – Feared Hun leader who devastated the Roman Empire.
William the Conqueror – Duke of Normandy who became King of England in 1066.
Richard the Lionheart – English king famed for bravery in the Crusades.
Ivan the Terrible – Russian Tsar known for his ruthless rule and expansion.
Charlemagne (“Father of Europe”) – Emperor who united much of Western Europe.
Edward the Confessor – English king known for his piety and religious devotion.
Alfred the Great – Anglo-Saxon king who defended England from Vikings.
Basil the Bulgar Slayer – Byzantine emperor who crushed the Bulgarian army.
Louis XIV (“The Sun King”) – French king who embodied absolute monarchy.
Philip II of Spain (“The Prudent”) – A deeply religious and strategic ruler.
Frederick the Great – Prussian king known for military success and reforms.
Charles V (“The Holy Roman Emperor”) – Ruler of a vast empire across Europe.
Henry VIII (“Bluff King Hal”) – English king infamous for his six wives and reforms.
Mary I (“Bloody Mary”) – English queen known for persecuting Protestants.
Catherine the Great – Russian empress who modernized and expanded Russia.
Peter the Great – Russian tsar who westernized his country.
Isabella I of Castile (“La Católica”) – Spanish queen who unified Spain and funded Columbus.
James I (“The Wisest Fool in Christendom”) – A scholar with poor political judgment.
Victoria (“The Grandmother of Europe”) – Due to her many royal descendants.
Edward I (“Hammer of the Scots”) – English king who fought against Scotland.
Louis IX (“Saint Louis”) – French king canonized for his piety and justice.
John of England (“Lackland”) – Given due to losing territories in France.
Henry V (“The Warrior King”) – Famous for his victory at Agincourt.
Elizabeth I (“The Virgin Queen”) – Never married, ruling England independently.
Louis XVI (“The Last King of France”) – Executed during the French Revolution.
Charles II (“The Merry Monarch”) – Known for his lively and indulgent court.
Leopold I (“The Hogmouth”) – Austrian emperor with a distinctive jaw due to inbreeding.
Harald Bluetooth – Danish king who united Denmark and Norway.
Eleanor of Aquitaine (“Queen of the Troubadours”) – Famous for her patronage of poetry.
Napoleon (“The Little Corporal”) – French emperor known for his military genius.
Eric Bloodaxe – Viking king known for his brutal rule.
Haakon the Good – Norwegian king remembered for his fair and just rule.
Henry IV (“Good King Henry”) – Beloved French king known for bringing peace.
Ferdinand II of Aragon (“The Catholic”) – United Spain with Isabella I.
Wilhelm II (“The Last Kaiser”) – The final emperor of Germany before WWI.
Nicholas II (“The Last Tsar”) – Russia’s final emperor, executed in 1918.
Selim the Grim – Ottoman sultan known for his ruthless nature.
Mehmed the Conqueror – Ottoman sultan who captured Constantinople.
Suleiman the Magnificent – Ottoman sultan known for military and cultural achievements.
Louis the Pious – Frankish king known for his devout nature.
Henry I (“Beauclerc”) – English king famed for his scholarly interests.
Francis I (“The Father of the French Renaissance”) – A patron of the arts and learning.
Matilda (“Lady of the English”) – Fought for the English throne in the 12th century.
Stephen of England (“The Usurper”) – Took the throne from Matilda.
Robert the Bruce (“The Outlaw King”) – Led Scotland’s independence.
Charles XII of Sweden (“The Warrior King”) – Famous for his military campaigns.
George III (“Mad King George”) – Suffered from mental illness later in life.
Haile Selassie (“The Lion of Judah”) – Ethiopian emperor revered in Rastafarianism.
Edward III (“The Black Prince”) – Prince of Wales, known for his military prowess.
Henry III (“The Pious”) – Holy Roman Emperor known for his devoutness.
Louis II (“Louis the Stammerer”) – Frankish king with a speech impediment.
Charles II of Spain (“The Bewitched”) – Had severe physical and mental disabilities due to inbreeding.
Edward II (“Edward of Caernarfon”) – Known for his disastrous reign and deposition.
Richard II (“Richard of Bordeaux”) – Named after his birthplace in France.
Louis I (“Louis the Debonair”) – French king known for his courteous nature.
Charles III (“Charles the Fat”) – Frankish emperor whose obesity was notable.
William II (“Rufus”) – English king with a ruddy complexion.
Henry I of France (“Henry the Brave”) – Known for resisting Holy Roman control.
Ferdinand VII (“The Desired” & “The Felon King”) – Initially loved but later despised.
Christian IV (“The Builder King”) – Danish king known for his architectural projects.
Gustavus Adolphus (“The Lion of the North”) – Swedish king famed for military tactics.
John III Sobieski (“The Savior of Vienna”) – Polish king who defeated the Ottomans.
Maria Theresa (“The Mother of Austria”) – Strengthened the Habsburg dynasty.
Joseph II (“The Musical King”) – Holy Roman Emperor with a love for the arts.
Henry VI (“The Mad King”) – English king whose mental illness led to civil war.
Louis XVIII (“The Unavoidable”) – French king restored after Napoleon’s defeat.
Stephen I (“The Apostle King”) – First Christian king of Hungary.
Olaf Tryggvason (“The Viking King”) – Spread Christianity in Norway.
Canute the Great (“The Viking Emperor”) – Ruled England, Denmark, and Norway.
Philip IV (“The Fair”) – French king known for his good looks and political cunning.
Frederick I (“Barbarossa”) – Holy Roman Emperor with a red beard.
Louis the German – Grandson of Charlemagne who ruled East Francia.
Baldwin IV (“The Leper King”) – Crusader king of Jerusalem despite leprosy.
John I of Portugal (“The Good”) – Strengthened Portugal’s independence.
Elizabeth of Russia (“The Beauty Queen”) – Never married, focused on arts and culture.
Louis XI (“The Universal Spider”) – French king known for his web of intrigues.
Eric XIV of Sweden (“The Mad King”) – Suffered from paranoia and instability.
Haakon IV (“Haakon the Old”) – Long-reigning Norwegian king.
Philip the Bold – Duke of Burgundy known for his bravery.
Philip the Good – Another Duke of Burgundy, famous for diplomacy.
Charles the Rash – Last Duke of Burgundy, reckless in battle.
Maximilian I (“The Last Knight”) – Holy Roman Emperor who clung to medieval chivalry.
Ranjit Singh (“The Lion of Punjab”) – Founded the Sikh Empire.
Shah Jahan (“King of the World”) – Built the Taj Mahal.
Aurangzeb (“Alamgir” or “Conqueror of the World”) – Mughal emperor known for his expansion.
Boudica (“Warrior Queen”) – Led a rebellion against Roman rule in Britain.
Tamerlane (“The Scourge of Asia”) – Ruthless conqueror of Central Asia.
Genghis Khan (“Universal Ruler”) – Founder of the Mongol Empire.
Kublai Khan (“The Great Khan”) – Grandson of Genghis, ruled China.
Saladin (“The Noble Enemy”) – Respected Muslim leader during the Crusades.
Mehmed II (“The Conqueror”) – Captured Constantinople in 1453.
Bayezid I (“The Thunderbolt”) – Ottoman sultan known for swift military campaigns.
Francis II (“The Last Holy Roman Emperor”) – Dissolved the empire in 1806.
Napoleon III (“The Small Napoleon”) – Nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Wilhelm I (“The First Kaiser”) – Unified Germany in 1871.
Harald Hardrada (“The Last Great Viking”) – Died attempting to conquer England.
Sigismund III (“The Vasa King”) – Ruler of both Poland and Sweden.
Leopold II (“The Butcher of the Congo”) – Infamous for brutal colonial rule.
