Hierarchy of titles in England. Titles of nobility in medieval Europe

In France, from the Middle Ages until 1871, there was a single system, according to which the feudal lords were divided into several categories. Titles of nobility and their hierarchy are of great interest today. And this is not surprising, since representatives of the aristocracy and their offspring are constantly the object of close attention of the press along with show business stars and famous politicians.

Hierarchy

The head of the medieval French state was the king. At the next rung of the hierarchical ladder were overlords - dukes and major counts, who were the supreme rulers of a particular area. At the same time, their power on the lands was almost equal to the royal one. Next came the owners of domains, beneficiaries or allotments issued for service, and fiefs granted for service and inherited. These nobles had various titles. Interestingly, any feudal lord could be both a suzerain and the owner of a domain and beneficiary at the same time.

Le Roi (king)

As already mentioned, this is the highest title of nobility in medieval France. In different periods, its owners were endowed with more or less power. The French kings had the highest power in the era of absolutism, especially during the reign of Louis XIV.

Le Duke (duke)

This is the highest non-crowned title in the French kingdom, which was translated into Russian as "duke". It is believed that it originally denoted the leader of the tribe and arose during the Carolingian times, when the French, Italians and Germans were subjects of one king. In the course of the formation and expansion of the Frankish state, the German dukes became officials of the king, and the counts, the rulers of certain regions, were subordinate to them.

Le Marquis (marquises)

These titles of nobility in France arose under Charlemagne. Their name comes from the name of the border administrative unit - brand. This is due to the fact that the marquis was the royal governor in the area.

Le Comte (count)

This was the name of the royal servant, who had the authority to manage a certain territory and exercise the functions of the judiciary. He was next after the Marquis in the hierarchy of titles of nobility and practically single-handedly, with the exception of only a few issues, he ruled his county. By the way, from the word comte came the name "komtur", denoting a position in the spiritual and knightly orders.

Le Vicomte (viscount)

Titles of nobility in France were hereditary. In different eras, there were different rules for this. For example, the title of viscount, which in the early period denoted the deputy of the count, was later borne by the younger male heirs of the marquis and counts, as well as their descendants.

Le Baron (baron)

Noble titles in France were quite numerous. Their hierarchy also included the step of baron. This was the name of the feudal lords who had their own domain, who, being vassals directly to the king, were themselves sovereigns of their own subjects. In France, it was one of the rarest.

Le Chevalier (Chevalier)

Noble titles in France were also among those representatives of this class who did not have their own domains. It was they who joined the ranks of the army and made up most of the chivalry. The very word "chevalier" means a heavily armed horseman. In the countries of Western Europe, it originally meant acceptance into the military service of one's overlord. For loyalty, the chevalier received from the master a hereditary fief and a lifelong beneficiary.

Monsieur De

The junior title of nobility in France of the old order is equier (ecuye). They denoted a squire, and in literal translation it meant "clothes". In addition, this was the name given to personally independent noble children who did not have the opportunity to equip and equip themselves on their own. Service as a squire was the only way for the chevalier to win the right to own fief or benefice. However, some of the squires, for one reason or another, did not achieve what they wanted and remained simply Monsieur de (name). Over time, this class merged with the Chevalier.

Title succession

At the forefront was the birthright. This meant that the title was inherited by the eldest son of its owner. At the same time, daughters born before the appearance of a boy in the family were deprived of this right.

While the father was alive, the son received the so-called courtesy title lower in rank than that of the parent. For example, the heir to a duke became a marquis. At the same time, when the position of a particular nobleman in the hierarchy of the French aristocracy was considered, the title of father was taken as the basis for determining his place. In other words, the count, who is the son of the duke, was higher than the "colleague", whose father was the marquis.

Usually the highest aristocracy had several titles that remained in the family, so sometimes their offspring had to change them with the death of older relatives. For example, if after the death of a grandfather, the son became a duke, then the grandson took his place as a count.

Women's titles

The title of nobility in France and England was usually passed down through the male line. As for women, that they became their owners in two ways. The first option is marriage, and the second is receiving from the father. In the latter case, it was again about the title of courtesy, which did not give the lady any privileges. It is a different matter when a woman becomes, for example, a duchess as a result of her marriage to a duke. This meant that she was on the same level of the hierarchy as her husband, and bypassed everyone, including the males, who followed him. In addition, for example, of the two marquises, the one below was the one whose husband had the title of courtesy, and did not inherit it after the death of a parent.

At the same time, the Salic law of succession to the throne was in force in France, according to which women unconditionally could not inherit family titles, i.e. the daughter of a duke did not become a duchess, even if the father had no male heirs.

The most famous aristocratic houses of France

House de Montmorency.

The family has been known since the 10th century and gave France 6 constables, 12 marshals, a cardinal, several admirals, as well as masters of various noble orders and numerous famous statesmen.

Anne de Montmorency was the first in the family to receive a ducal title in 1551.

House d'Albret.

This house reached the very top of the hierarchical ladder, becoming the royal house in Navarre. In addition, one of his representatives (John d "Albret) married the Duke of Vendom. In this marriage, the future king, first of Navarre, and then of France, Henry the Fourth, was born.

House of Artois.

A county with this name in the Middle Ages repeatedly became. In addition, it was one of the few whose inheritance was contrary to the Salic law. The county later became part of Burgundy. In 1482, the title with the lands went to the Habsburgs. However, already in 1659 it returned to the French protectorate and became a nominal county. At the same time, its owners received the title of peer of France, and later one of the representatives of this family became the King of France, Charles the Ninth.

Princes of Conde.

This junior branch played an important role in the social and political life of the kingdom until their disappearance in 1830. Throughout its history, this family repeatedly claimed the throne and took part in various conspiracies.

The Lusignan family.

Rod is known for spreading its influence far beyond the borders of France. From the 12th century, as a result of dynastic marriages, its representatives became the rulers of Cyprus and Jerusalem, and in the 13th century they became the kings of the Cilician Armenian kingdom and the Principality of Antioch. Thanks to them, the hierarchy of titles of nobility in France was partially transferred to these states.

House of Valois-Anjou.

Representatives of the family were the kings of Naples and one of the branches of the ancient Capetian dynasty. In 1328 their representative, Philip the Sixth, assumed the throne of France. He received it not as an inheritance, but because of the absence of male heirs from his cousin, the King of France. The dynasty ruled for more than 2 centuries, until the throne passed to Henry the Fourth.

Now you know how many rungs of the hierarchical ladder separated the ordinary aristocrat and the one who held the highest title of nobility in France, England or other Western European states. Today, many of their offspring, who inherited only a big name, live like the most ordinary people and only occasionally remember their ancestors who gave them blue blood.

(Inaccuracies are possible, because I didn’t have enough time-literacy to check, but since I didn’t find anything more competently built, I use this article)
Taken from http://www.diary.ru/~MasterGans/p146357633.htm?oam

Noble titles. Middle Ages.

Emperor
Emperor, lat., in republican Rome, an honorary title given to a victorious commander, first Scipio Africanus; from August and especially from the II century - the ruler of the state. The title disappeared in the west with the fall of the west. Roman Empire 476, but preserved in the east. Roman Empire before its fall. It was restored in the west by Charlemagne 800, crowned in Rome. The German kings bore the title of I. of the Holy Roman Empire, at first only when they were crowned in Rome (starting with Otto I 962). In Russia, Peter V. took the title I. 1721, and since then it has been worn by Russian monarchs. 1804 Franz 1 of Austria took the title of "Apostolic I."; it is also worn by his heirs. 1809-89 the empire was Brazil, 1804-14 and 1852-70 France; since 1871 the King of Prussia bears the title of I. Germansky, since 1876 the Queen of Great Britain is at the same time the Empress of India; since 1877, the Turkish sultan has had the title of I. Ottomans. The title of I. is also given to the rulers of China, Japan, Siam, Abyssinia, and Morocco; it did not exist for long on the island of Haiti and in Mexico.
Latin - Imperator, Imperatrix
Greek-Autokrator
English-Emperor, Empress
German - Kaiser, Kaiserin
French - Empereur, Imperatrice
Spanish - Emperador, Emperatriz
Russian - Tsar, Tsarina

King, queen

The very word "king" is relatively young and appeared only after the reign of Charlemagne, the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. Actually, the word comes from his name: Karl (lat. Carolus). In addition, we can assume that the word goes back to the ancient German "Kuning", which comes from the words "kuni, kunne" (elder of the clan), and even further to the Greek "genos". In addition, the origin uses the Latin rex (female - "regina" = "king and priest", derived from the word "reg" (something from priestly rites). Hence the French "roi".
Title: Your Majesty
Latin - Rex, Regina
Greek - Basileus
English - King, Queen
German-Koenig, Koenigin
French - Roi, Reine
Spanish - Rey, Reina
Portuguese - Rei, Reiha
Romanian - Regele, Raina
Bulgarian-Tsar
Norwegian - Konge, Dronning
Danish-Konge, Dronning
Swedish-Konung, Drotning
Dutch - Koning, Koningin
Irish - Ri, Rigan (High-King = Ard Ri)

Prince, princess

One of the highest titles of representatives of the aristocracy. At present, the correspondence of the term "prince" in Western European languages is used both in a generalized abstract sense ("sovereign", "monarch", and in several specific meanings. The female version of the title is a princess, but the wives of princes are also called princesses.
The etymology of the word is similar to the Latin title "princeps" (princeps - first, chief). Initially, in the European tradition, the heirs of kings / dukes were called so, then “princes of the blood” appeared, and in France the title became a full-fledged title of nobility (princes of Condé and Conti). In a number of states, the heirs to the throne bear not just the title of prince, but the title of prince of a certain province (Prince of Wales in England, Prince of Asturias in Spain). It is curious that in France the heir to the throne bore the title of dauphin, which was associated with the acquisition by the future French king Charles V de Valois in 1349 of the Dauphine region (formed on the territory of the Burgundian kingdom. The center was the county of Viennenoy). The dauphiné became the appanage of the heirs to the throne, who assumed the title and coat of arms of the dauphins of Vienne. The title of Dauphin was given by the Counts of Vienne before the sale of the plot to the French, and the name of the land came from the title.
Title: Your Highness
Latin - Princeps
English - Prince, Princess
French - Prince, Princesse
German - Prinz, Prinzessin; Fuerst, Fuerstin
Italian - Principe, Principessa
Spanish - Principe, Princesa
Portuguese - Principe, Princeza

The head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political entity (an appanage prince) in the 9th-16th centuries among the Slavs and some other peoples; representative of the feudal aristocracy; later - the highest title of nobility, depending on the importance equated to a prince or a duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe (the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in Northern - king. The term "prince" is used to convey Western European titles descending from princeps and Fürst, also sometimes dux (usually duke).
Grand Duke (Princess) - in Russia, the noble title of members of the royal family.
The princess is the wife of the prince, as well as the actual title of the female person of the nobility, the prince is the son of the prince (only among the Slavs), the princess is the daughter of the prince.

Russian-Knyaz, Knyazhna

Grand Duke

English - Grand Duke
German - Grossherzog, Grossherzogin
French - Grand Duc, Grande Duchesse
Italian - Gran-duca, Gran-duchesa

(old German herizogo "der vor dem Heer zieht" - "going before the army" the dukes were relatives of the royal family, only they could have this title. That is, all the dukes are members of the royal family. It comes from the German herz (lord, master, m.b. . leader) - so the German leaders were called themselves. ; Another row (duc, duke) comes from the Latin word dux, which meant exactly the same thing. in Western Europe in the early Middle Ages - a tribal prince, in the period of feudal fragmentation - a large territorial ruler ( in the system of the military hierarchy, G. occupied the second place after the king); with the elimination of feudal fragmentation, one of the highest titles of nobility. ) and the word Herzog
Title: Your Grace
Latin Dux
English - Duke, Duchess
German - Herzog, Herzogin
French-Duc, Duchesse
Italian - Duca, Duchesa
Spanish - Duque, Duquesa
Portuguese - Duque, Duqueza

marquis

Novolat. marquensis, French marquis, ital. Marchese
1) in the Carolingian Empire, the same as the margrave.
2) In medieval France and Italy (since the 10th century), a large feudal lord, in his position on the hierarchical ladder, was between the duke and the count.
3) Hereditary title of nobility in a number of Western European states (France, Italy, Spain).
The marquis usually became the counts who had served the king.
Title: Your Grace, my lord.
English - Marquess, Marchioness
German - Markgraf, Markgrsfin (in English, Margrave, Margravine)
French - Marquis, Marquise
Italian-Marchese, Marchesa
Spanish - Marques, Marquesa
Portuguese - Marquez, Marqueza

graph; lat. comes (lit.: "companion", French comte, English earl or count) The English earl (from the Scandinavian jarl (earl)) originally denoted the highest official, but from the time of the Norman kings turned into an honorary title.
(German Graf, English Earl, French comte, Latin comes), originally the name of an official in the Frankish state and in England. G. were appointed by the king, but by decree of Charles the Bald (Kersi capitulary 877), the position and possessions of G. became hereditary; G. turned into a feudal owner. (Margrave, Landgrave and Palatine). With the fall of feudalism, the title of G. became an honorary family title. English earl - originally denoted the highest official, but since the time of the Norman kings turned into an honorary title. In Russia, the title of count was introduced by Peter V.; the first G. was B. N. Sheremetiev. Count families enjoy the title of lordship and are brought in. V part of the noble family tree of the book.
Title: my lord
Latin - Comes, Comitissa
English - Earl, Countess
German - Graf, Graefin; Landgraf, Landgraefin (In English, Landgrave, Landgravine); Pfalzgraf, Pfalzgraefin (In English, Count-Palatine, Countess-Palatine)
French - Comte, Comtesse
Italian - Conte, Contessa
Spanish - Conde, Condesa
Portuguese - Conde, Condeza
Swedish - Greve, Grevinde
Danish
Dutch - Graaf, Graafin
Irish - Ard Tiarna, Bantiarna
Hungarian - Groef, Groefin

Actually the viceroy of the count. It first came into use in France, from where the Normans transferred it to England. A member of the European nobility, intermediate between a baron and an earl. A British viscount is higher in rank than a baron, but lower than a British duke. A French viscount is above a baron (baron) but below a French count (comte). The same is true in all countries of the European continent where there is a title of viscount. Viscount was first recorded as a rank in the British Peerage in 1440 when John Beaumont, 1st Viscount Beaumont was made such by Henry VI.
Title: e.g. Viscount Little
English - Viscount, Viscountess
French - Vicomte, Vicomtesse
Italian - Visconte, Viscontessa
Spanish - Vizconde, Vizcondesa
Portuguese - Vizconde, Vizcondeza

(from late Latin baro - a word of Germanic origin with the original meaning - a man, a man), in Western Europe a direct vassal of the king, later a title of nobility (a woman is a baroness). The title of B. in England (where it remains to this day) is lower than the title of viscount, occupying the last place in the hierarchy of titles of the highest nobility (in a broader sense, all English high nobility, hereditary members of the House of Lords belong to B.); in France and Germany, this title was lower than that of a count. In the Russian Empire, the title of B. was introduced by Peter I for the German higher nobility of the Baltic states. the title of baron in England (where it remains to this day) is the title of a junior peer and is located in the hierarchical system below the title of viscount, occupying the last place in the hierarchy of titles of the highest nobility (peers).
Title: Baron.
English - Baron
German - Baron, Baronin; Freiherr, Freifrau
French - Baron, Baronne
Italian - Barone, Baroness
Spanish-Baron, Baronesa
Portugese-Baron, Baroneza
Irish - Tiarna, Bantiarna

Hereditary title of nobility in England. It was introduced in 1611. The nobles occupy a middle position between the higher nobility and the lower nobility. The title of baronet, as already mentioned, arose originally as one of the degrees of knighthood. The title was created by James I in 1611 to raise money for the defense of Ulster by selling patents. Subsequently (under George IV) the title ceased to be knightly. However, its owner has the right to address sir, and to distinguish baronets from knights, the letters Bt are placed after their name: Sir Percival Glyde, Bt. He is not a baronet and a peer, but this title is hereditary.

Esquire (Chevalier)

The youngest son in a noble family who had land. Formally, they were not considered nobility and were not included in high society. However, at the same time they were persons of blue blood and still were nobles.
(English esquire, from lat. scutarius - shield-bearer), in England of the early Middle Ages, a knight's squire, then the holder of a knightly fief, who did not have knighthood. In the late Middle Ages and modern times, E. was an honorary title of nobility. In everyday life, the term "E." often used interchangeably with "gentleman".
Title: lord, chevalier

We are talking about the French title system, that is, the one that was distributed on the territory of the "Kingdom of France" from the Middle Ages to 1871.
It should be noted that the feudal lords can be divided into three categories. Firstly, overlords, i.e. the supreme lords of the territory (state), who possessed all the power on it, sometimes equal to the royal one. These are dukes and major earls. Secondly, the domain owners, ie. land holdings that are in full personal ownership of the feudal lord. Thirdly, the owners of the beneficiaries, i.e. lifetime possessions, granted for service, and the owners of fiefs - hereditary possessions, granted for service.
Moreover, all the feudal lords listed above could be counts, and dukes, and barons, etc. That is, the count could be both a suzerain (county of Flanders), and the owner of his domain (de la Fer), and a feudal lord who received a beneficiation or fief from the king (de Broglie).

The highest title in France was roi (rua). In Russian, the word "roi" is translated as "king" (from the name of Charlemagne).

The highest "non-crowned" title in the kingdom was duce (duke), translated into Russian as "duke". Interestingly, in Italian this word is read as "Duce". Obviously, both words go back to the Latin "ducěre" - "to lead", and the original meaning of the French "duce" is identical to the modern meaning of the same word in Italian. Apparently the title itself arose back in the time of the Carolingians, when the future French, Germans and Italians were subjects of one king (later the emperor), and meant nothing more than the leader of the tribe.

The next title in the French hierarchy was that of marquis (marquis). The word "mark" meant "borderland, frontier land", and later came to mean a frontier administrative unit in the empire of Charlemagne - the mark. Accordingly, this is the imperial / royal viceroy in the March. The German title "markgraf" (margrave) has a similar etymology.

The next in the feudal hierarchy was the comte (count). The word itself comes from the name of the territorial unit. This was the name of an imperial or royal official, endowed with full administrative and judicial power in a certain territory (i.e. in his county). A similar etymology has a term denoting an official of the spiritual and chivalrous order - Komtur.

In addition to the usual counts, there were also their deputies vicomte (vie-comte). Literally, it means "vice count". In the later period, such a title, taking into account the rules of the primacy, was worn by the younger sons of marquises and counts and their descendants.

The next title was the title of baron (baron). This title was worn by feudal lords who had their own domain and had subordinate vassals, themselves being vassals directly to the king. Perhaps this is the most uncommon title in France (more common in Germany - "Freiherr" and early England - "Baron").

However, there were nobles without domains. It was they who, carrying out military service, made up a numerous layer of chivalry. For service, they received from their su-grain a lifelong beneficiation or hereditary fief. The etymology of the French chevalier (chevalier, cavalier) is interesting: the title of a knight goes back to the type of his occupation - serving in the feudal army as a heavily armed horseman. Accordingly, knighthood was originally tantamount to acceptance into such a service. The knights served, as you know, for beneficiaries - most often for the right to conditionally hold land on the rights of a feud - and therefore did not have titles until they received the land in full possession. In addition, the layer of chivalry was heterogeneous, and the actual status of a knight depended on the status of his overlord.

Monsieur De...

In principle, the prefix “de” (from) denoted any nobleman of the kingdom. But there were nobles who did not even have the title of chevalier. It would be unfair not to mention them: equier (ekyuye) - squires. The word originally meant "dressing". This was the name of the personally independent children of the nobility, who did not have the opportunity to equip themselves and equip themselves. The squire had the opportunity, by courage in battle, to win the right to own a benefice or fief. Were squires for one reason or another who did not receive land or a title. They remained simply “Monsieur de ...”. Over time, they merged with the Chevalier. In the English title system, they retained the name "esquire" - Esquire.

Titles of nobility in Germany

Consider now all the titles of nobility in Germany as of the beginning of the 1st World War.
The highest title of the empire was, of course, the title of Kaiser (Kaiser). This word comes from the Latin word "caesar" (Caesar, Caesar), which does not need unnecessary comments. So the title "Kaiser" is quite legitimately translated into Russian as "emperor".
Following the imperial title was König (Konig). In ancient German, the word sounded like the well-known "Kuning" (Kuning, Konung), and meant "noble". In Russian, the word "König" is translated as "king".
The highest "non-crowned" title in the empire was Herzog (Duke). The word comes from the ancient German "Herizogo", meaning "leader". So the ancient Germans called their military leaders. During the time of the empire, the dukes were the military governors of the emperors in large areas (including several counties), and often this was the area of \u200b\u200bsettlement of one tribe.

The German word Fürst (furst) is translated as "prince", which is not entirely true. The word "Fürst" comes from the ancient German "virst", meaning "first" (Anglo-Saxon "first". The title itself arose already in imperial times and denoted the highest nobility of the empire. Subsequently, it was assigned to those of its representatives who were not kings or dukes Thus, the translation "boyar" suggests itself.

There is a derivative of this title - Kurfürst (kufürst), cited in our literature without translation. What "Fürst" means, we already know, and "kur-" means "choice". The fact is that after the fall of the Swabian Staufen dynasty at the end of the 13th century, the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire began to be elected. But only a narrow circle of the highest nobles of the empire (i.e. Fursts), who were endowed with the appropriate right, took part in the elections. In Latin texts (chronicles, etc.), these nobles were called "elector" - "elector". In German, their title was "Kurfürst".

The next in the Germanic feudal hierarchy was the Graf (count). The word itself comes from the Greek "γραθιος" (graphios) - "scribe". This was the name of an imperial or royal employee, endowed with full administrative and judicial power in a certain territory (i.e., in his county). In addition to ordinary counts, there were also Mark and Palatine counts.

The word "Mark" meant "borderland, frontier land", and later came to mean a frontier administrative unit. And Markgraf (margrave), respectively, is the imperial / royal governor in the brand. The French title marquis (marquis) has a similar etymology.

As for the word Pfalz (pfalz), it comes from the Latin "palatium" - "palace", and meant a temporary royal or imperial residence. I must say that the kings of the early Middle Ages, as a rule, did not have permanent residences (states did not have capitals, as such). Instead, the kings preferred to use several temporary residences in turn in different parts of the country - this was justified primarily by considerations of military organization. Accordingly, in the absence of the king (emperor), all affairs in such a residence were managed by his representative, who bore the title of Pfalzgraf (count palatine).

As such, the title of Baron did not exist in Germany. The Russian fashion to call all Germans barons came from Peter the Great, who began to call almost all Baltic Germans barons. In Western Europe in the Middle Ages, this is a direct vassal of the king, and the term is rather collective. This title was worn by feudal lords who had their own fief and had vassals under their control. Met in Austria with the Hungarian nobility.

The lowest in the German feudal hierarchy was the title Freiherr (Freiherr). It is he who is worn by all German nobles, known to us as "barons". Literally "Freiherr" is translated as "free master". The owners of their own patrimony (domain) could have a similar status, in contrast to the holders of estates (fiefs).

With the formation of the feudal system, the concept of "title" necessarily included a relation to a certain inherited landed property. Therefore, any title in the Empire included the preposition "von" (from) and the name of the possession. In France, the preposition "de" served the same purpose.

However, there were nobles without possessions. It was they who, carrying out military service, made up a numerous layer of chivalry. Interestingly, the Russian word "knight" directly comes from the German title Ritter (ritter). That's what they were called in the Empire. The name itself has common roots with the word "Reiter" (reiter) - a rider. Interestingly, the French "chevalier" (chevalier, cavalier) has the same etymology. That is, the title of knights goes back to their occupation - service in the feudal army as heavily armed horsemen. Accordingly, knighthood was originally tantamount to acceptance into such service. Knights served, as you know, for beneficiaries - most often for the right to conditionally hold land on the rights of a feud - and therefore did not have titles until they received the land in full possession. In addition, the layer of chivalry was heterogeneous, and the actual status of a knight depended on the status of his overlord. The greatest honor was enjoyed by the "imperial knights" - vassals directly of the Kaiser. The rest were less respected. But in any case, there were practically no "anyone's" knights, and the title of a knight contained a mention of his overlord: Ritter des Herzog von Bayern - a knight of the Duke of Bavaria, for example. Members of knightly orders were in a special position. On the territory of the Empire, the most significant was the Deutsche Orden (Deutsche Order), known to us as "Teutonic", or "German".

Noble titles of Byzantium

Vasilevs - Emperor
Augusta - the official title of a Byzantine empress
Caesar - in Byzantium until the end of the XI century. the highest secular title after the imperial. Often complained to the prospective heirs to the throne
Vasileopator (lit. "father of the emperor") - the highest title created by the imp. Constantine VII
Curopalate - one of the first titles in terms of meaning in the Byzantine hierarchy, usually complained to the closest relatives of the emperor and high-ranking foreigners
Sinkel - a title that most often complained to the highest spiritual nobility of the capital and provinces, its holders were part of the synclite
Parakimomen - the main sleeping man, a title usually granted to eunuchs
Stratilat - a very ambiguous title denoting a military leader of a very high rank
Master - one of the highest titles of the table of ranks, as a rule, not associated with the performance of certain functions
Patricius - a high title in the Byzantine hierarchy
Zosta patricia - the title of a court lady under the empress, head of the empress's bedroom
Anfipat - a high title in the Byzantine table of ranks
Rector - an honorary title, usually not associated with the performance of any specific functions
Protospafarius - a title of medium dignity, usually complained to the military
Spafarokandidat - visa. title of relatively low rank

England - title seniority system
Since each title is described above, I will only give a hierarchy.
Dukes (of England, then Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Ireland)
Eldest sons of dukes of royal blood
Marquesses (same seniority)
Elder sons of dukes
Counts
Younger sons of dukes of royal blood
Elder sons of marquesses
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts
The eldest sons of the counts
Younger sons of marquesses
Bishops
Barons
The eldest sons of the viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Elder sons of the barons
Younger sons of barons
Sons of barons for life
baronets
Cavaliers of orders (except the Order of the Garter - it is higher)
Knights not in Orders
Exquires
Squires

"Ladder" of titles

At the very top is the royal family (with its own hierarchy).
Next, in order of importance of the titles, are:

Princes - Your Highness, Your Grace
The Dukes - Your Grace The Duke/Duchess
Marquises - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquise (mention in conversation - lord / lady)
Elder sons of dukes
Dukes' daughters
Counts - My Lord / Milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
Elder sons of marquesses
Daughters of marquesses
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the counts
Younger sons of marquesses
Barons - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Elder sons of the barons
Younger sons of viscounts
Younger sons of barons
Baronets - Sir
Elder sons of younger sons of peers
Elder sons of baronets
Younger sons of baronets

The eldest son of the holder of the title is his direct heir.

The eldest son of a duke, marquis or earl receives a "courtesy title" - the eldest from the list of titles belonging to the father (usually the road to the title passed through several lower titles, which "remained in the family" further. Usually this is the next title in seniority (for example , the duke's heir is a marquis), but not necessarily. In the general hierarchy, the place of the sons of the holder of the title was determined by the title of their father, and not by their "title of courtesy".
The eldest son of a duke, marquis, earl or viscount comes immediately after the holder of the title next in seniority to that of his father. (see "Ladder of titles"

Thus, the heir to a duke is always right behind the marquis, even if his "courtesy title" is only an earl.

The younger sons of dukes and marquesses are lords.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, a title could be held by a woman if that title could be passed down through the female line. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly female titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are courtesy titles and do not give the holder the right to the privileges due to the holder of the title. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; a marquise by marrying a marquis; etc.

In the general hierarchy, the wife occupies a place determined by the title of her husband. We can say that she is standing on the same rung of the stairs as her husband, right behind him.

Note: You should pay attention to the following nuance: For example, there are marquises, wives of marquises and marquises, wives of the eldest sons of dukes (who have the "courtesy title" marquis, see section Sons). Now, the former always occupy a higher position than the latter (again, the position of the wife is determined by the position of the husband, and the marquis, the son of the duke, is always inferior to the marquis as such).

Women are title holders "by right".

In some cases, the title could be inherited through the female line. There could be two options here.
1. The woman became, as it were, the keeper of the title, then passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next female heiress for transfer then to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
2. A woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right". In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike the male holders of the title, the woman did not receive the right to sit in the House of Lords along with this title, and also hold positions associated with this title.

If a woman got married, then her husband did not receive a title (both in the first and in the second case).

Note: Who occupies a higher position, the baroness "in her own right" or the wife of the baron? After all, the title of the first belongs directly to her, and the second enjoys the "title of courtesy."
According to Debrett, a woman's position is entirely determined by the position of her father or husband, except when the woman has the title "in her own right". In this case, her position is determined by the title itself. Thus, of the two baronesses, the one whose barony is older is higher in position. (two title holders are compared).

In the literature, in relation to the widows of titled aristocrats, one can often find a kind of prefix to the title - Dowager, i.e. Dowager. Can every widow be called a "Widowmaker"? No.

Example. The widow of the fifth Earl of Chatham may be called the Dowager Countess of Chatham if the following conditions are simultaneously met:
1. The next Earl of Chatham was the direct heir of her late husband (i.e. his son, grandson, etc.)
2. If there is no other Dowager Countess of Chatham alive (for example, the widow of the fourth Earl, the father of her late husband).
In all other cases, she is Mary, Countess of Chatham (Mary, Countess of Chatham, that is, the name + title of her late husband). For example, if she is the widow of a count, but the widow of her husband's father is still alive. Or if, after the death of her husband, his nephew became a count.

If the current title holder is not yet married, then the previous title holder's widow continues to be called the Countess of Chatham (for example), and becomes "Dowager" (if eligible) after the current title holder marries and a new Countess of Chatham appears.

How is the position of a widow in society determined? - By the title of her late husband. Thus, the widow of the 4th Earl of Chatham is higher in position than the wife of the 5th Earl of Chatham. Moreover, the age of women does not play any role here.

If a widow marries again, her position is determined by the position of her new husband.

The daughters of dukes, marquises and counts occupy the next step in the hierarchy after the eldest of the sons in the family (if any) and his wife (if any). They stand above all other sons in the family.
The daughter of a duke, marquis or earl is given the courtesy title "Lady". She retains this title even if she marries an untitled person. But, by marrying a titled person, she receives the title of her husband.

Names of titles are chosen from France. Why from there? Because among the peoples it is the French names that are used most often. Except for some used in Russia. And on this page we will tell you who is into what.

As a rule, they are presented in order: from the highest to the simplest. Titles going from Emperors to Chevaliers (Knights) are usually called nobility. For reference: The nobleman is one of the upper classes of the feudal society (along with the clergy), which was in the service of the monarch and carried out state activities. In other words, a nobleman is a person in the service of a court, usually a prince or tsar.

Emperor- the title of a monarch or several monarchs at once, the head of an empire. The emperor is usually the owner of several countries or peoples at once. As a rule, he takes lands of his own free will. The highest title in existence. Feminine - Empress.

Caesar (Russian – Tsar) - an autocratic sovereign, the owner of a kingdom or a large state. A king is a person chosen by God, the people, etc. Usually associated with the highest dignity of the emperor. In Russia, by the way, the current "tsar" is currently called the president, but in fact this is not so. The king, as a rule, takes over the whole country, and the president leads the country through others. Feminine - Queen.

King- the title of a monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, the head of a kingdom or a small state. Feminine - Queen.

Prince- who it? It seems that everyone knows, but I’ll tell you anyway: this is the son of a monarch (king, king or emperor). And when the king dies, the prince takes his place, being the new king. Feminine - Princess.

duke (Russian – prince) - the leader of the army and the ruler of the region. The head of a feudal monarchical state or a separate political entity, a representative of the feudal aristocracy. The highest title of nobility. Feminine - Duchess or Princess.

marquis (Russian – Zemsky Boyar) - a title of nobility above the count, but below the duke. The marquis usually became the counts who had served the king and received permission to rule the border mark (administrative unit). Hence, by the way, the name of the title. Feminine - Marquise or Boyarynya.

Graph (Russian – Prince Boyar) is a title of nobility in Western Europe and pre-revolutionary Russia. Initially, it denoted the highest official, but since the time of the Norman kings it has turned into an honorary title. As a rule, above the baron and viscount, but below the marquis and duke. Feminine - Countess.

Viscount- a member of the European nobility, middle between a baron and a count. As a rule, the eldest son of a count (during his father's lifetime) bears the title of viscount. In the Russian nobility, the title of viscount is absent. Feminine - Viscountess.

Baron (Russian – Barin or boyar) - a title of nobility, standing below the count and viscount. A noble person, in the narrow sense, the highest stratum of feudal society. In medieval feudal Western Europe - a large sovereign nobleman and feudal seigneur, later - an honorary title of nobility. Feminine - Baroness or Boyar.

Chevalier (Russian – Knight) - he is also a Knight as well. The most junior title of nobility that had land. Formally, they were not considered nobles and were not included in high society, but at the same time they were blue-blooded persons and still were nobles.

Gentleman- originally the word "gentleman" meant a man of noble birth, this was the basic definition of an aristocrat, the next title was Esquire. But then they began to call an educated and well-mannered man, respectable and balanced. Gentleman, as a rule, does not apply to the title of nobility. And there is no female counterpart to the word "Gentleman". They are called Lady.

Lord- this is not a title, but a common name for representatives of the upper class. Lord off English means "ruler". They can be called any ruler, regardless of rank. Although, if we talk about Great Britain, then Lord is still a title, but in other nations, dukes, marquises, earls, etc. are also called lords.

Hierarchy of nobility

Lately, I’ve been disappearing into the online strategy Goodgame Empire, where you can get a title for military merit (I’m already a margrave x), here, and this hierarchy is attached there, I decided to find out more.

From bottom to top:
1) Knight - a political hereditary class of untitled or lower nobility. A free, but, due to lack of property, incapable of performing horse service, a person could, as a vassal, receive beneficiaries or a piece of quitrent land. The allotment of quitrent land pursued economic goals, the distribution of beneficiaries - military. One way or another, the owner of the lands - the feudal lords, had the right to nominate his candidacy for knighthood, giving a more noble oath of allegiance.

The initiation most often took place on the holidays of Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost - the solemn consecration of the sword, golden spurs and "strike".

The knight must be "m. i. l. e. s.", i.e. magnanimus (generous), ingenuus (free-born), largifluus (generous), egregius (valorous), strenuus (warlike). The knightly oath (votum professionis) is required to listen to mass daily, to protect churches and clergy from robbers, to protect widows and orphans, to avoid an unjust environment and unclean earnings, to save an innocent go to a duel, attend tournaments only for military exercises, respectfully serve the emperor in worldly affairs , not to alienate imperial fiefs, to live impeccably before the Lord and people.

Otherwise, there was also a procedure for depriving the knight of dignity, usually ending with the transfer of the former knight into the hands of the executioner x) The ceremony took place on the scaffold, on which the knight’s shield was hung upside down (always with a personal coat of arms depicted on it), and was accompanied by the singing of prayers for the dead chorus of a dozen priests. During the ceremony, after each sung psalm, a knight in full dress was removed from any part of the knight's vestments (not only armor was removed, but also, for example, spurs, which were an attribute of knightly dignity). After full exposure and another funeral psalm, the knight's personal emblem was broken into three parts (along with the shield on which it is depicted). After that, they sang the 109th psalm of King David, consisting of a set of curses, under the last words of which the herald (and sometimes the king himself) poured cold water on the former knight, symbolizing purification.

Then the former knight was lowered from the scaffold with the help of a gallows, the loop of which was passed under the armpits. The former knight, under the hooting of the crowd, was led to the church, where a real funeral service was performed on him, after which he was handed over to the executioner, if he was not prepared by sentence for a different punishment that did not require the executioner’s services (if the knight was relatively lucky, then everything could be limited to the deprivation of knighthood). After the execution of the sentence, the heralds publicly declared the children (or other heirs) “vile, deprived of rank, not having the right to bear arms and appear and participate in games and tournaments, at court and at royal meetings, under pain of being stripped naked and carved with rods, like the villains and those born of an ignoble father." If the knight was impeccable and successful in battle, he could be endowed with new possessions and titles.

2) Chevalier - not much better than a knight, practically a synonym - a French name, except that he is 100% nobleman.

3) Baron - an honorary title of nobility, this is a large possessing nobleman and feudal seigneur, a direct vassal of the king with the right of limited criminal and civil judicial jurisdiction in his fiefs, and at his discretion appointed judges, prosecutors and judicial officials. This title was assigned to members of such knightly families who, having no ownership rights, used fiefs directly from the king.

4) Count - the title of the highest nobility, a royal official with judicial, administrative and military power. The West German word was used to translate the Latin comes "companion", which in the Middle Ages received the meaning "companion of the king."

5) Margrave - he is Marquis. An official subordinate to the king, endowed with broad administrative, military and judicial powers in the brand - a district located in the border region and containing various kinds of possessions, consisting of both state and private property. Provided protection from foreign invaders.

6) Count Palatinate or Count-Palatine, - in the Early Middle Ages, the count-manager of the palatine (palace) during the absence of the ruling monarch in it, also a royal official who headed the royal court, and representative-deputy of the king. The palatines, who replaced the emperor in their district, had power in their possessions that exceeded the power of ordinary counts.

7) Landgrave - the title of a count who enjoyed the highest jurisdiction in his possessions and was not subordinate to a duke or prince. Originally, a landgrave was a royal or imperial officer who had possessions transferred directly to the fief by the emperor. At the same time, landgraves were not subordinate to either dukes, or counts, or bishops. This was done in order to weaken the power of the powerful dukes.

8) Duke - among the ancient Germans - a military leader, elected by the tribal nobility; in Western Europe, during the early Middle Ages, he was a tribal prince, and during the period of feudal fragmentation, he was a large territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military hierarchy. The German dukes were turned into officials of the king, to whom the rulers of individual regions, the counts, were subordinate. In France, with the elimination of feudal disunity and the establishment of the absolutism of royal power, the word "duke" began to denote the highest noble title, often members of the royal family and related families. In late European history, the title of duke is usually reserved for members of royal families. In addition to the ducal titles of sovereign monarchs and titles of allodial (feudal) origin, there are ducal titles of nobility granted by monarchs to their subjects under the royal prerogative.

9) Prince - the head of a separate political entity (specific prince). the highest title of nobility, depending on the importance equated to a prince or a duke in Western and Southern Europe, in Central Europe (the former Holy Roman Empire), this title is called Fürst, and in Northern - king. The term "prince" is used to convey Western European titles descending from princeps and Fürst, also sometimes dux (usually duke). Initially, the prince was a tribal leader who headed the organs of military democracy.

10) Elector "prince-elector", from Kur - "choice, election" and Fürst - "prince"; tracing paper lat. principes electores imperii) - in the Holy Roman Empire - an imperial prince, to whom the right to elect an emperor was assigned from the 13th century.
The emergence of the institute of electors was associated, first of all, with the peculiarities of the political development of feudal Germany, with the formation of territorial principalities there, the long-term consolidation of political fragmentation and the weakening of central power.

11) Grand Duke - the title of the head of an independent state. Approximately corresponds to the European title "Prince of the Blood".

12) Grand Duke - the title of independent sovereigns, standing, according to international law, between kings and dukes; they were given the title "Royal Highness".

13) Archduke - a title used exclusively by members of the Austrian royal house of Habsburg. In the hierarchy of German titles of the Middle Ages and modern times, the archduke is higher than the duke, but lower than the elector and king. The title of Archduke was first recognized by Emperor Frederick III of the House of Habsburg. Around 1458 he bestowed this title on his younger brother Albrecht VI, and in 1477 on Sigismund of Tyrol. After 1482, the title of archduke began to be used by the son and heir of Frederick III, Maximilian I, the future emperor. Similar at one point to the use of the titles prince or prince in other royal houses of Europe.

14) King - König - the title of the monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, the head of the kingdom. In Europe, until 1533, the title of king was bestowed by the Pope, which was de facto recognized by Orthodox monarchs. The only representatives of the East Slavic statehood who officially bore the title of king were Daniil of Galicia and his descendants - who received the right to the royal title from Pope Innocent IV.

Based on Wikipedia

And the darling was hit by a hut ...

Title ladder

At the very top is the royal family (with its own hierarchy).
Next, in order of importance of the titles, are:

princes- Your Highness, Your Grace
Dukes- Your Grace, Duke/Duchess
marquises - Milord / Milady, Marquis / Marquise (mention in conversation - lord / lady)
Elder sons of dukes
Dukes' daughters
Counts - My lord / milady, Your Excellency (mention in conversation - lord / lady)
Elder sons of marquesses
Daughters of marquesses
Younger sons of dukes
Viscounts - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the counts
Younger sons of marquesses
Barons - My Lord / Milady, Your Grace (mention in conversation - Lord / Lady)
The eldest sons of the viscounts
Younger sons of counts
Elder sons of the barons
Younger sons of viscounts
Younger sons of barons
baronets - Sir
Elder sons of younger sons of peers
Elder sons of baronets
Younger sons of baronets

sons

The eldest son of the holder of the title is his direct heir.

Thus, the heir to a duke is always right behind the marquis, even if his "courtesy title" is only an earl.

The younger sons of dukes and marquesses are lords.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, the title holder was a man. In exceptional cases, a title could be held by a woman if that title could be passed down through the female line. This was the exception to the rule. Mostly female titles - all these countesses, marquises, etc. - are courtesy title and do not give the holder the right to the privileges due to the holder of the title. A woman became a countess by marrying a count; a marquise by marrying a marquis; etc.

In the general hierarchy, the wife occupies a place determined by the title of her husband. We can say that she is standing on the same rung of the stairs as her husband, right behind him.

Comment: You should pay attention to this nuance: For example, there are marquises, wives of marquises and marquises, wives of the eldest sons of dukes (who have the "title of courtesy" marquis, see section Sons). Now, the former always occupy a higher position than the latter (again, the position of the wife is determined by the position of the husband, and the marquis, the son of the duke, is always inferior to the marquis as such).

Women - holders of the title "by right"
In some cases, the title could be inherited through the female line. There could be two options here.
1. The woman became, as it were, the keeper of the title, then passing it on to her eldest son. If there was no son, the title, under the same conditions, passed to the next female heiress for transfer then to her son ... At the birth of a male heir, the title passed to him.
2. A woman received the title "by right" ("in her own right". In this case, she became the owner of the title. However, unlike the male holders of the title, the woman did not receive the right to sit in the House of Lords along with this title, and also hold positions associated with this title.

If a woman got married, then her husband did not receive a title (both in the first and in the second case).

Comment: Who occupies a higher position, baroness "in her own right" or the baron's wife? After all, the title of the first belongs directly to her, and the second enjoys the "title of courtesy."
According to Debrett, a woman's position is entirely determined by the position of her father or husband, except when the woman has the title "in her own right". In this case, her position is determined by the title itself. Thus, of the two baronesses, the one whose barony is older is higher in position. (two title holders are compared).

widows
In the literature, in relation to the widows of titled aristocrats, one can often find a kind of prefix to the title - Dowager, i.e. Dowager. Can every widow be called a "Widowmaker"? No.

If a widow marries again, her position is determined by the position of her new husband.

daughters
The daughters of dukes, marquises and counts occupy the next step in the hierarchy after the eldest of the sons in the family (if any) and his wife (if any). They stand above all other sons in the family.
The daughter of a duke, marquis or earl is given the courtesy title "Lady". She retains this title even if she marries an untitled person. But, by marrying a titled person, she receives the title of her husband.

Ruler titles

Inherited:
prince
Tsar heir Tsarevich (not always)
King heir Dauphin, Prince or Infante
Emperor
Caliph
Maharaja
Khan
shah

Elected:
doge
Caliph of the Kharijites

Noble titles:
boyar
marquis
Baron
Graph
duke
prince
Viscount
Chevalier
Kazoku - Japanese title system

Monarchs

Emperor(lat. imperator - sovereign) - the title of the monarch, head of state (empire). From the time of the Roman emperor Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD) and his successors, the title of emperor acquired a monarchical character. From the time of Emperor Diocletian (284-305), the Roman Empire was almost always headed by two emperors with the titles of Augustus (their co-rulers bore the title of Caesars).

It is also used to designate the rulers of a number of eastern monarchies (China, Korea, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Japan, the pre-Columbian states of America), despite the fact that the name of the title in the official languages of these countries does not come from the Latin imperator.

To date, only Emperor Akihito of Japan has this title in the world.

King(Latin rex, French roi, English king, German König) - the title of the monarch, usually hereditary, but sometimes elective, the head of the kingdom.
Queen- the female ruler of the kingdom or the consort of the king.

Tsar(from tssar, tssar, lat. caesar, Greek kαῖσαρ - one of the Slavic titles of the monarch, usually associated with the highest dignity of the emperor. In allegorical speech to denote primacy, dominance: "the lion is the king of beasts."

A queen is a queen or the wife of a king.
Tsarevich - the son of a king or queen (in pre-Petrine times). In addition, the title of prince was given to some descendants of independent Tatar khans, for example, the descendants of Kuchum Khan of Siberia had the title of princes of Siberia.
Tsesarevich is a male heir, the full title is Heir Tsesarevich, informally abbreviated in Russia to Heir (with a capital letter) and rarely to Tsesarevich.
Tsesarevna is the wife of the Tsarevich.
A princess is the daughter of a king or queen.

Titled nobility

Prince(German Prinz, English and French prince, Spanish príncipe, from Latin princeps - first) - one of the highest titles of representatives of the aristocracy. The Russian word "prince" means direct descendants of monarchs, as well as, by special decree, other members royal family

Duke (Duc) - Duchess (Duchess)
Duke(German Herzog, French duc, English duke, Italian duca) among the ancient Germans - a military leader elected by tribal nobility; in Western Europe, in the early Middle Ages, it was a tribal prince, and in the period of feudal fragmentation, it was a major territorial ruler, occupying first place after the king in the military hierarchy.

Marquis (Marquess) - Marquise (Marchioness)
marquis- (French marquis, novolat. marchisus or marchio, from German Markgraf, in Italy marchese) - a Western European title of nobility, standing in the middle between a count and a duke; in England, except for M. in the proper sense, this title (Marquess) is given to the eldest sons of dukes.

Count (Earl) - Countess (Countess)
Graph(from German Graf; Latin comes (lit.: "satellite"), French comte, English earl or count) - a royal official in the Early Middle Ages in Western Europe. The title arose in the 4th century in the Roman Empire and was originally assigned to the highest dignitaries (for example, comes sacrarum largitionum - chief treasurer). In the Frankish state, from the second half of the 6th century, the count in his district-county had judicial, administrative and military power. By decree of Charles II the Bald (Capitulary of Kersey, 877), the position and possessions of the count became hereditary.

The English earl (OE eorl) originally denoted the highest official, but from the time of the Norman kings it turned into an honorary title.

During the period of feudal fragmentation - the feudal lord of the county, then (with the elimination of feudal fragmentation) the title of the highest nobility (a woman - a countess). As a title, it formally continues to be preserved in most European countries with a monarchical form of government.

Viscount (Viscount) - Viscountess (Viscountess)
Viscount- (French Vicornte, English Viscount, Italian Visconte, Spanish Vicecomte) - this was the name of the governor in some possession of the count in the Middle Ages (from vice comes). Subsequently, individual V. became so intensified that they became independent and owned certain destinies (Beaumont, Poitiers, etc.) began to be combined with the title of V. At present, this title in France and England occupies a middle place between a count and a baron. The eldest son of the count usually bears the title of V.

Baron (Baron) - Baroness (Baroness)
Baron(from late Latin baro - a word of Germanic origin with the original meaning - a man, a man), in Western Europe a direct vassal of the king, later a title of nobility (a woman is a baroness). The title of B. in England (where it remains to this day) is lower than the title of viscount, occupying the last place in the hierarchy of titles of the highest nobility (in a broader sense, all English high nobility, hereditary members of the House of Lords belong to B.); in France and Germany, this title was lower than that of a count. In the Russian Empire, the title of B. was introduced by Peter I for the German higher nobility of the Baltic states.

Baronet (Baronet) - (there is no female version of the title)
Baronet(Baronet) - (there is no female version of the title) - although this is a hereditary title, in fact, baronets do not belong to peers (titled aristocracy) and do not have seats in the House of Lords.

All others fall under the definition of "commoner", i.e. not titled (including Knight, Esquire, Gentleman)

Comment: In the vast majority of cases, the title belongs to a man. In rare cases, a woman may herself hold the title. Thus, duchess, marquise, countess, viscountess, baroness - in the vast majority of cases these are "courtesy titles"

There is a hierarchy within a title based on when the title was created and whether the title is English, Scottish or Irish.
English titles are higher than Scottish titles, and Scottish titles are higher than Irish titles. For all that, at a higher level are more "old" titles.

Comment: of English, Scottish and Irish titles.
At various times in England, titles were created:
before 1707 - Peerages of England, Scotland and Ireland
1701-1801 - Peerages of Great Britain and Ireland
after 1801 - peers of the United Kingdom (and Ireland).

Thus an Irish earl with a title created before 1707 is lower in the hierarchy than an English earl with a title of the same time; but higher than the Earl of Great Britain with a title created after 1707

Lord

Lord(Eng. Lord - lord, master, lord) - a title of nobility in Great Britain.

Initially, this title was used to refer to all those belonging to the class of feudal landowners. In this sense, the lord (fr. seigneur ("seigneur")) opposed the peasants who lived on his lands and owed him loyalty and feudal duties. Later, a narrower meaning appeared - the holder of lands directly from the king, in contrast to the knights (gentry in England, lairds in Scotland), who owned lands belonging to other nobles. Thus the title of lordship became collective for the five ranks of the peerage (duke, marquis, earl, viscount and baron).

With the emergence of parliaments in England and Scotland in the 13th century, the lords received the right to directly participate in parliament, and in England a separate, upper house of lords of parliament was formed. Nobles with the title of lord sat in the House of Lords by birthright, while other feudal lords had to elect their representatives to the House of Commons by county.

In a narrower sense, the title of lord was usually used as equivalent to the title of baron, the lowest in the peerage system. This is especially true in Scotland, where the title of baron was not common. The granting of the title of lord by the Scottish kings to the nobles gave them the opportunity to take a direct part in the country's parliament, and often was not associated with the appearance of land holdings by such persons on the right of holding from the king. Thus the title of Lords of Parliament arose in Scotland.

Only the king had the right to assign the title of lord to a nobleman. This title was inherited through the male line and in accordance with the principle of primogeniture. However, the title of lord was also used by the children of nobles of higher ranks (dukes, marquis, viscounts). In this sense, the wearing of this title did not require special sanction from the monarch.

Lord, this is not a title - this is an appeal to the nobility, eg Lord Stone.

Lord(lord, in the original meaning - the owner, head of the house, family, from the Anglo-Saxon. hlaford, literally - the keeper, the protector of bread), 1) originally in medieval England in the general sense - the feudal landowner (lord of the manor, landlord) and the lord of his vassals, in a more special sense - a large feudal lord, the direct holder of the king - a baron. Gradually, the title of L. became the collective title of the English nobility (dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons), which is received (since the 14th century) by the peers of the kingdom, who make up the upper house of the British Parliament - the House of Lords. The title of L. is passed down through the male line and seniority, but can also be granted by the crown (on the recommendation of the prime minister). Since the 19th century complains (“for special merits”) not only to large landowners, as was customary before, but also to representatives of big capital, as well as to certain figures in science, culture, and others. Since 1958, the appointment by the monarch of a part of the members of the L. chamber has been introduced, and the appointed L. sit in the chamber for life, their title is not inherited. In 1963, hereditary L. received the right to abdicate the title. 2) An integral part of the official title of some of the highest and local officials of Great Britain, for example, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mayor and others. The Lord Chancellor, Supreme L. of Great Britain, is one of the oldest government positions (established in the 11th century); in modern Great Britain, L. Chancellor is a member of the government and a representative of the House of Lords. Performs mainly the functions of the Minister of Justice: appoints judges in the counties, heads the Supreme Court, is the keeper of the great state seal. Lord Mayor - the title of the head of local authorities in London (in the City area) and a number of other large cities (Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and others) that has been preserved from the Middle Ages. 3) In the 15th-17th centuries, an integral part of the title of L. Protector, which was assigned to some high-ranking statesmen of England, for example, regents under a minor king. In 1653-58 O. Cromwell also held the title of L. Protector.

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