List of people known as the Elder or the Younger


"The Elder" and "the Younger" are epithets generally used to distinguish between two individuals, often close relatives. In some instances, one of the pair is much more famous, and hence not known as "the Elder" or "the Younger", e.g. Carl Linnaeus; in such cases, they are not listed in a separate column but rather in the notes of the other person.

People

Ancient world

Middle Ages

Note: A few pairs straddle the boundary between the Middle Ages and the modern era—c. 1500—and are listed in both sections.
The ElderLifespanNotesRelationshipThe YoungerLifespanNotes
Æbbe of Coldinghamc. 615–683Anglian abbess and noblewomanNo relation toÆbbe the Youngerdied 870Anglo-Saxon abbess and saint
Aldus Manutiusc. 1449/1452–1515Italian printer and humanistGrandfather ofAldus Manutius the Younger1547–1597Italian printer and humanist
Antonio da Sangallo the Elderc. 1453–1534Italian architectUncle ofAntonio da Sangallo the Younger1484–1546Italian architect
Bal'ami the Elder / Abu'l-Fadl al-Bal'amidied 940Vizier of Nasr IIRelative ofBal'ami the Younger / Abu Ali Bal'amidied between 992 and 997Persian historian, writer and vizier of the Samanid Empire
Bardas Phokas the Elderc. 878–c. 968Byzantine generalGranduncle ofBardas Phokas the Youngerc. 940–989Byzantine general who took a conspicuous part in three revolts for and against the ruling Macedonian dynasty
Barisan of Ibelindied 1150Lord of RamlaFather ofBarisan the Younger / Balian of Ibelinc. 1143–1193A crusader noble of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Lord of Ibelin
Çandarlı Kara Halil Hayreddin Pashadied 1387First grand vizier of the Ottoman EmpireGrandfather ofÇandarlı Halil Pasha the Youngerdied 145311th grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire
Carthage the Elderdied 6th centuryIrish saint, bishop and abbotClaimed to be the foster father ofCarthage the Younger / Mo Chutu of Lismoredied 639Irish saint and abbot
Charles the Youngerc. 772–811King of the Franks, son of Charlemagne
Ciarán of Saigirdied c. 530Bishop of Saigir, one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, considered the first saint to have been born in IrelandCiarán of Clonmacnoisec. 516–c. 549Saint, one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and first abbot of Clonmacnoise
Conrad the Elder, Count of Argengaudied c. 864Father ofConrad the Younger, Count of Auxerredied 876
Conrad, Duke of Thuringiadied 906Father ofConrad I of Germanyc. 881–918King of East Francia
Eadnoth the Elder up to 991?Prior of Ramsey before his duties were assumed by Eadnoth the YoungerContemporary ofEadnoth the Younger c. 992–1016English monk and prelate, Abbot of Ramsey and Bishop of Dorchester
Edward the Elderc. 874–17 July 924King of the Anglo-Saxons and son of Alfred the Great; called "the Elder" to distinguish him from Edward the Martyr, King of the English
Henri Estienne 1460 or 1470–1520French printerGrandfather ofHenri Estienne1528 or 1531–1598French printer and classical scholar
Fulk, King of Jerusalemc. 1089/1092–1143Also Count of Anjou, son of Fulk IV, Count of Anjou
Hans Holbein the Elderc. 1460–1524German painterFather ofHans Holbein the Youngerc. 1497–1543German-Swiss painter and printmaker
Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1463–1514Also Prince of WolfenbüttelFather ofHenry V, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg1489–1568Also Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Heraclius the Elderdied 610Byzantine generalFather ofHeracliusc. 575–641Byzantine emperor
Hugh Despenser the Elder1261–1326Earl of Winchester and chief adviser to King Edward II of EnglandFather ofHugh Despenser the Youngerc. 1287/1289–1326Royal chamberlain and a favourite of King Edward II
Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha the Elderdied 1429Grand Vizier of the Ottoman EmpireGrandfather ofÇandarlı Ibrahim Pasha the Younger1429–1499Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
Inge the Elderdied c. 1105–1110King of SwedenUncle ofInge the Younger c. 1110–c. 1125King of Sweden
Isaiah di Tranic. 1180–c. 1250Italian TalmudistGrandfather ofIsaiah di Trani the Younger13th centuryItalian Talmudist and commentator
Jakob Fugger the Elder1398–1469German master weaver, town councillor and merchant, father of German merchant, mining entrepreneur, and banker Jakob Fugger
Justin IIdied 578Byzantine emperor, nephew of a nephew of Emperor Justin I
Leo Phokas the Elder 910sByzantine generalUncle ofLeo Phokas the Younger915/920–after 971Byzantine general
Lorenzo the Elderc. 1395–1440Italian banker, great-uncle of Lorenzo de' Medici, aka Lorenzo the Magnificent, Lord of Florence
Lorenzo Costa1460–1535Italian painterGrandfather ofLorenzo Costa the Younger1537–1583Italian painter
Louis the Younger830/835–882King of Saxony and King of Bavaria, son of Louis the German, first king of East Francia
Louis VII of France1120–1180King of the Franks, son of Louis VI of France, King of the Franks
Louis II of Italy825–875King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor, grandson of Louis the Pious, King of the Franks, co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, and King of Aquitaine
Lucas Cranach the Elderc. 1472–1553German painter and printmakerFather ofLucas Cranach the Younger1515–1586German painter and portraitist
Martin of Aragon / Martin the Elder1356–1410King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia and Corsica, Count of Barcelona and King of SicilyFather ofMartin I of Sicily / Martin the Youngerc. 1374/1376–1409King of Sicily
Michael Psellos1017/1018–1078? or 1096?Byzantine Greek monk, savant, writer, philosopher, imperial courtier, historian and music theorist sometimes called "the younger", though it is now believed that this was an error and there is no Michael Psellos the elder
Mircea the Elderc. 1355–1418Voivode of WallachiaGrandfather ofMircea II of Wallachia1428–1447Voivode of Wallachia
Miro the Elderdied 896Count of ConflentFather ofMiró II of Cerdanya878?–927Count of Cerdanya and Count of Besalú
Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder 1071–1094/5?Byzantine Greek general who attempted to overthrow the emperorFather or grandfather ofNikephoros Bryennios the Younger1062–1137Byzantine general, statesman and historian
Nikephoros Phokas the Elderdied 895/6 or c. 900Byzantine general, grandfather of Byzantine emperor Nikephoros II Phokas
Olympiodorus the Elder5th centuryByzantine philosopherOlympiodorus the Youngerc. 495–570Byzantine philosopher, astrologer and teacher
Paolo Caylina the Elderc. 1425–after 1486Italian painterUncle ofPaolo Caylina the Youngerc. 1485–c. 1545Italian painter
Pepin of Landenc. 580–640Mayor of the palace of AustrasiaPepin the Shortc. 714–768King of the Franks
Pierfrancesco the Elder1430–1476Italian nobleman, banker, diplomat, and member of the Medici familyGrandfather ofPierfrancesco the Younger1487–1525Italian banker
Pier Paolo Vergerio the Elder1370–1444/1445Italian humanist, statesman, pedagogist and canon lawyerPier Paolo Vergerioc. 1498–1565Italian papal nuncio, later Protestant reformer
Jan Rombouts the Elderc. 1480–1535Flemish painter, draftsman, printmaker and glass designer and painter, father of the painter Jan Rombouts the Younger
Serapion the Elder / Yahya ibn SarafyunSecond half of the 9th centurySyriac Christian physicianNo relation toSerapion the Younger12th or 13th centuryAuthor of a medicinal-botany book entitled The Book of Simple Medicaments
Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicesterc. 1175–1218A French military leader in the Fourth Crusade and the Albigensian CrusadeGrandfather ofSimon de Montfort the Younger1240–1271
Sten Sture the Elder1440–1503Regent of SwedenDistant relative ofSten Sture the Younger1493–1520Swedish nobleman, regent of Sweden
Suitbert the YoungerAnglo-Saxon Christian saint and abbot; unrelated to Suitbert of Kaiserswerth, another 7th century Anglo-Saxon Christian saint
Sverker the Elderc. 1100–1156King of SwedenGrandfather ofSverker the Youngerbefore 1167–1210King of Sweden
Wilfrid IIdied 745 or 746Anglo-Saxon saint and bishop; no relation to Wilfrid, also an Anglo-Saxon saint and bishop of York
William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen1487–1559Father of Prince William the Silent/William of Orange, leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs
William I, Landgrave of Lower Hesse1466–1515Elder brother of William II, Landgrave of Hesse, also known as "William the Middle"Uncle ofWilliam III, Landgrave of Hesse1471–1500