The family first appeared in the documents at the beginning of the 16th century and derived its name from the town of Szécsény. First prominent member and founder of family wealth was György Széchenyi (1603–1695), who served as Archbishop of Esztergom. The family received the title of Imperial Count in 1697 by Emperor Leopold I. In 1777 Count Ferenc Széchényi purchased the lands of Sárvár and Felvidék and from then on the family members bore the name Count Széchényi de Sárvár-Felsövidek. The elder, non-comital branch of the family bore the name Széchényi-Szabó but became extinct in the first half of the 20th century.