The sons and daughters of prestigious¹ families are also likely to live longer than average, more likely to attend Oxbridge, live in expensive houses, and go on to become doctors or lawyers.

 

There is also little difference in wealth or social standing² when the richest families of the Victoria era are compared to their descendants today, according to the study.

 

Publishing their findings in the Economic Journal, Professor Gregory Clark and Dr Neil Cummins said: 'What your great-great-grandfather was doing is still predictive of what you are doing now.'

 

The pair examined the records of 19,000 people, including more than 600 rare family names such as Bazalgette, the Pepys, and Bigge.

 

Joseph Bazalgette was responsible for building the world's first sewer³ system in London in the 19th century, the Pepys family tree contains noted⁴ diarist Samuel Pepys, and John Bigge was a judge and royal commissioner⁵.

 

They found that, compared to their relatives in 1850, those living with that surname today are almost certain to have amassed⁶ fortunes well beyond the reach of the average Briton.

 

For example Sir Peter Bazalgette, the great-great-grandson of Sir Joseph, is the founder⁷ of Endemol television production company which created Big Brother and Deal or No Deal.

 

The company was floated on the Dutch stock exchange in 2005. It trebled in value and was sold for £2.5billion in 2007.

 

The findings of Dr Clark and Dr Cummins, reported by The Guardian⁸, suggest that the passing down of wealth has a far bigger impact on society than previously⁹ thought.

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