Not everyone has a famous duke or duchess hidden in their family tree. Some of us are more likely to be descended from rogues, pirates, outlaws, or scandal-ridden aristocrats. Before you scoff, think again, millions of people worldwide share ancestry with someone… questionable. Could your great-great-great-grandad have been a cutthroat on the high seas? Let’s find out.
1. Blackbeard (Edward Teach)
Born: c. 1680, Bristol, England
Infamous for: Terrorising the Caribbean and American colonies; using smoke and theatrics to terrify victims
If your ancestors were from the West Country, especially Bristol, Plymouth, or coastal Devon, you might be connected to Blackbeard. He likely came from a merchant seafaring family, so anyone with links to maritime professions, dockworkers, or privateers during the 17th and early 18th centuries could potentially share his bloodline.
Clue in your tree: A seaman ancestor from Bristol born around the late 1600s.
2. Billy the Kid (Henry McCarty)
Born: 1859, New York City, USA (of Irish descent)
Infamous for: Gunfights, cattle rustling, and escaping jail
Billy’s parents were Irish immigrants from County Antrim, Northern Ireland. If your family emigrated to the U.S. during the Irish potato famine (1845–1852), or you’ve got Irish relatives who landed in New York or Boston, you might just be cousins.
Clue in your tree: Irish-born relatives who moved to the American East Coast in the mid-1800s.
3. Anne Bonny | Famous Pirate
Born: c. 1697, Cork, Ireland
Infamous for: Being one of the most feared female pirates in history
Anne was born the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy Irish lawyer and his maid, and later moved to the Carolinas in America. If your ancestors were Irish-born and settled in the American South during colonial times, especially with ties to seafaring, Anne could be a wild card on your chart.
Clue in your tree: Irish-Catholic settlers in the early American colonies.
4. Guy Fawkes
Born: 1570, York, England
Infamous for: The Gunpowder Plot, attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament
Yorkshire families with Catholic roots may find a surprising link to this infamous plotter. Guy was from a respectable family and converted to Catholicism during a period of religious persecution.
Clue in your tree: Northern English Catholics living during Elizabethan and Jacobean times.
5. Elizabeth Báthory
Born: 1560, Nyírbátor, Hungary
Infamous for: Allegedly torturing and murdering hundreds of girls and bathing in their blood (though that’s likely a myth)
Báthory came from one of Hungary’s most powerful noble families. If you’ve got Eastern European noble or aristocratic blood, particularly from Hungary, Slovakia, or Romania, there’s a slim but possible link.
Clue in your tree: Hungarian aristocrats or nobility records in the 16th–17th century.
6. Ned Kelly
Born: 1854, Victoria, Australia
Infamous for: Being a bushranger and folk hero, complete with homemade armour
Ned’s parents were Irish convicts transported to Australia. If your family has convict ancestry (which many Aussies proudly do), or Irish roots that migrated to Australia in the 1800s, the Kelly blood may run in your veins.
Clue in your tree: Irish convicts or settlers in 19th-century Australia.
7. Mary Read | Famous Pirate
Born: c. 1685, England (possibly Devon or London)
Infamous for: Disguising herself as a man to join pirate crews; sailing with Anne Bonny
Like many pirates, Mary came from poverty and a troubled home life. Her background is murky, but she’s believed to have spent time in the Caribbean, the Royal Navy, and even fighting in European wars. If you’ve got sailors, adventurers, or naval records in your family tree, she’s worth a look.
Clue in your tree: Female ancestors with missing records or who “disappeared” in the 18th century.
8. Vlad the Impaler (Vlad III Dracula)
Born: 1431, Transylvania (modern-day Romania)
Infamous for: Impaling enemies, defending Wallachia, and inspiring Dracula
He was a real historical figure with a noble lineage, and his descendants intermarried with other Eastern European dynasties. If your family hails from Romania, Serbia, Hungary, or Bulgaria, and there’s talk of noble ties, you may be walking in Vlad’s blood-soaked footsteps.
Clue in your tree: Noble ancestry or Eastern European surnames from the 15th–16th centuries.
9. Dick Turpin
Born: 1705, Essex, England
Infamous for: Robbing travellers on the road; later hanged in York
Turpin was born into a respectable butcher’s family before turning to crime. If your roots are in Essex or North Yorkshire, and you find tradesmen who had a suspicious fall from grace, you might just have a rogue highwayman in your lineage.
Clue in your tree: Butchers, innkeepers, or “labourers” in 18th-century Essex.
10. Al Capone
Born: 1899, Brooklyn, New York, USA (parents from Naples, Italy)
Infamous for: Being the boss of the Chicago Outfit during Prohibition
If your ancestors came from Southern Italy, particularly Naples or the Campania region, and settled in major U.S. cities like New York or Chicago, you might find a dotted line to the Capone clan
Clue in your tree: Italian American ancestors involved in “business” during the 1920s–30s.
How Could You Be Related to These Famous People?
- Start with family trees: Trace your lineage back using sites like Ancestry, Findmypast, or MyHeritage.
- Look for migration patterns: Did your family move from Ireland to America, or England to Australia? These movements often overlap with the lives of infamous figures.
- Check for surnames: Many families share surnames with these people. It doesn’t confirm a relation, but it’s a lead.
- Try DNA testing: Companies like 23andMe or AncestryDNA can match you with distant cousins and hint at geographic links.
- Watch for “gaps”: Sudden name changes, people disappearing from records, or suspicious professions can signal hidden stories.
Final Thought | Famous Ancestors
Finding an infamous figure in your family doesn’t make you a villain, but it does make your ancestry far more interesting. Whether you’re descended from pirates, gunslingers, or gothic nobles, it adds a bit of swagger to the old family album.
So go on, dig into your past. You might be surprised who’s lurking in the shadows of your family tree… You can also contact us today and get a free no no-obligation quote!
