3,416 Global ROTHSCHILD Family Members

ROTHSCHILD Family History

Recorded in the spellings of de Rothschild, Rothchild, Rothschild and Rothchilt, this is a famous surname of Austro-German origins. It is said to have been habitational, and to originate from a house or houses which had a red shield as the doormarker, and this may well be so. Before the advent of street numbering it was the popular practice to designate a property by some form of display. In time the only properties that continued with the practise were inns and hotels. Most early recordings of the name are protestant, a few catholic, and sometimes jewish, and this multplicity of religions can cause confusion, but in fact has nothing to do with the origin.