Royal and noble ranks

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 v
 t
 e

Imperial, royal, princely, others

nobles and chivalric ranks

Emperor / Empress

King / Queen
 Archduke / Archduchess

Grand Prince / Grand Princess

Grand Duke / Grand Duchess

Prince / Princess / Infante / Infanta / Królewicz /

królewna

Duke / Duchess

Sovereign Prince / Sovereign Princess

/ Fürst / Fürstin

Marquess / Marquis / Marchioness /

Margrave / Landgrave /
Count palatine

Count / Countess / Earl

Burgrave / Châtelain / Castellan

Viscount/Viscountess / Vidame

Baron / Baroness

Baronet / Baronetess
Hereditary Knight / Lady / Ritter / Ridder

Knight / Dame
Chevalier

Esquire / Laird / Edler / Jonkheer / Junker

Gentleman / Younger / Maid

 v
 t
  e

Sovereign and noble ranks in West, Central, and South Asia

Emperor: Caliph, Shahanshah, Padishah, Chakravarti, Khagan

High King: Sultan, Maharaja

King: Emir, Shah, Raja, Khan

Grand Duke: Nawab, Wāli, Nizam

Crown Prince: Mirza, Yuvraj, Vali Ahd

Prince : Shahzada, Şehzade, Sahibzada, Nawabzada

Earl : Dewan Bahadur, Rao Bahadur, Rai Bahadur, Khan Bahadur

Viscount: Khan Sahib, Baig, Begzada

Baron : Lala, Agha, Hazinedar

Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and
the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one
 region's prince might be equal to another's grand duke), the following is a reasonably
comprehensive list that provides information on both general ranks and specific differences.[vague]

Contents

 1Ranks and title

o 1.1Sovereign
o 1.2Other sovereigns, royalty, peers, and major nobility
o 1.3Minor nobility, gentry, and other aristocracy
 2Corresponding titles of nobility between languages
 3See also
 4Notes
 5References
 6External links

Ranks and title[edit]

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Sovereign[edit]
Main articles: Monarch and Sovereign

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 The word monarch is derived from the Greek μονάρχης, monárkhēs, "sole ruler" (from
μόνος, mónos, "single" or "sole", and ἄρχων, árkhōn, archon, "leader", "ruler", "chief", the
word being the present participle of the verb ἄρχειν, árkhein, "to rule", "to lead", this from the
noun ὰρχή, arkhē, "beginning", "authority", "principle") through the Latinized form monarcha.
 The word sovereign is derived from the Latin above.
 Autocrat is derived from the Greek αὐτοκράτωρ: αὐτός ("self") and κρατείν ("to hold power"),
and may be translated as "one who rules by himself".
Common titles for European and Near Eastern monarchs
Note that many titles listed may also be used by lesser nobles – non-sovereigns – depending on
the historical period and state. The sovereign titles listed below are grouped together into
categories roughly according to their degree of dignity; these being: imperial (Emperor, Empress,
etc.), high royal (King of Kings etc.), royal (King/Queen, sovereign Grand Duke or Grand Prince,
etc.), others (sovereign Prince, sovereign Duke, etc.), and religious.
Imperial titles
 Emperor, from the Latin Imperator, meaning "commander" or "one who commands". In
English, the feminine form is Empress (the Latin is imperatrix). The realm of an emperor or
empress is termed an Empire. Other words meaning Emperor include:
 Caesar, the appellation of Roman emperors derived from the Roman dictator Julius
Caesar, whose great-nephew and adopted son Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus became
the first emperor of Rome. Augustus' four successors were each made the adoptive son
of his predecessor, and were therefore legally entitled to use "Caesar" as a constituent
of their names; after Nero, however, the familial link of the Julio-Claudian dynasty was
disrupted and use of the word Caesar continued as a title only.
 Kaiser, derived from Caesar, primarily used in Germanic countries.
 Basileus kai Autokrator, Medieval Greek title meaning "sovereign and autocrat", used
by the Roman emperors from the 9th century onwards.
 Tsar / Czar / Csar / Tzar, derived as shortened variant of the Slavic pronunciation of
Caesar (tsyasar), the feminine form Tsaritsa, primarily used in Bulgaria, and after that in
Russia and other Slavic countries.
 Huangdi (皇帝）, the Imperial monarch during Imperial China.
 Samrat, (Sanskrit: samrāt or सससससस) is an ancient Indian title meaning 'A paramount
sovereign, universal lord'.[1]The feminine form is Samrājñī or सससससससससस.
 Chhatrapati, (Devanagari: ससससससस), from the Sanskrit chatra (parasol)
and pati (master or lord'), signifying 'a king over whom an umbrella is carried as a mark
of dignity, a sovereign, emperor'.[2] The term was adopted by Maratha ruler Shivaji as his
title in the 17th century.
 Sapa Inca, The Sapa Inca (Hispanicized spelling) or Sapa Inka (Quechua for "the only
Inca"), also known as Apu ("divinity"), Inka Qhapaq ("mighty Inca"), or simply Sapa ("the
only one"), was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cusco and, later, the Emperor of the Inca
Empire (Tawantinsuyu) and the Neo-Inca State.
 Tennō, which means "heavenly sovereign" in Japanese. Is the symbol of the State and
of the unity of the people. Historically, he is also the highest authority of the Shinto
religion as he and his family are said to be the direct descendants of the sun-goddess
Amaterasu
 Alaafin, or "Man of the Palace" in the Yoruba language, was the title of the emperor of
the medieval Oyo Empire in northwestern Yorubaland. He is considered the supreme
overlord of the empire and expected to keep tributaries safe from attack as well as
mediate disputes between various sub-rulers and their people within the Empire.
High royal titles

 King of Kings mostly used in Christian contexts to denote the Christian Roman emperors of
the Late Empire and Byzantine periods.
 Basileus ton Basileon, Ancient Greek title meaning "sovereign of sovereigns", used
by Alexander the Great after the similar title of the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia. A
translation from Ancient Persian Shahanshah.
 Shahanshah, literally "King of Kings" in Middle Persian šāhān šāh, meaning "Kings'
King." Used in Persia and surrounding countries.
 Sulṭānü's-Selāṭīn, literally "King of Kings" in Ottoman Turkish Sulṭānü's-Selāṭīn,
meaning "King's King." Used in Turkey and surrounding countries of the Ottoman
dynasty.
 Xi Chu Ba Wang （西楚霸王） meaning the Hegemon King of Western Chu.
 Tian Kehan（ 天可汗) meaning Heavenly Khagan. Given to Tang Taizong and Tang
Gaozong by Turkic nomads.
 Taewang, literally "Greatest King", a Korean title for the rulers of the Goguryeo Empire.
 Nəgusä Nägäst, title of the Emperors of Ethiopia, meaning "King of Kings".
 Mansa, title of the Emperors of the Mali Empire, meaning King of Kings.
 Mepe-Mepeta, Georgian for "King of Kings."
 Khagan, derived from Khan of Khans, used by the Central Asian nomads.
  Maharajadhiraja, "Great king of kings", title of the King of Nepal.
 High king, A king who rules over lesser kings.
 Amir al-Mu'minin, or "Commander ( Emir ) of the Faithful," a title traditionally held by
the Caliphs of Islam to denote their suzerainty over all Muslims, even (theoretically)
those beyond their territorial borders. Currently, the King of Morocco and the Sultan of
Sokoto hold this title, although neither officially claims the Caliphate.
 Devaraja, literally "God King", a title in the Khmer Empire and throughout Java.
 Mahārāja, Sanskrit for a "great king" or "high king". The female form is Maharani.
 Padishah, Persian pād "master" and shāh "king". Used in the Ottoman Empire and
the Mughal Empire.
 Anax, from Mycenaean wanax for "High King". Outranked Basileus in Mycenaean
usage.
 Nam-Lugal High kings of ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia).
 Pharaoh, "Man of the Great House (Palace)" used in Ancient Egypt to denote the High
kings of the upper and lower kingdoms of the Nile river valley.
 Ard Rí, Gaelic for high king, most notably used for high kings of Ireland and Scotland.
 Bretwalda, high kings of Anglo-Saxon England.
 Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the official title of the Malaysian head of state, and means "He
who is Made Supreme Lord" and is generally glossed in English as "king". The
officeholder is elected from among the heads of the nine royal states, so the office may
also be analogous to that of a high king.
Royal titles

 King, from the Germanic *kuningaz, roughly meaning "son of the people." (See: Germanic
kingship)[a] The realm of a King is termed a Kingdom (sovereign kings are ranked above
vassal kings)
 Rex Latin for "ruler". Cognate with Raja, Rí, Reign, Regina, etc.
 Basileus, from Mycenaean Greek meaning "chieftain", used by various Ancient Greek
rulers.
 Negus is a royal title in the Ethiopian
 Melech, ancient Hebrew king.
 Wang (王）, the head of state of Ancient China.
 Chanyu (單于), the title for the ruler of the Xiongnu Empire.
 Król (in Polish) Král (in Czech), Király (in Hungarian), Король (in Russian), Краљ (in S
erbian), Крал (in Bulgarian), Korol - Derived from Old East Slavic Король king, used in
Ukrainian, Kazakh, Tatar, and Kyrgyz languages.
The korol, krol, kral, крал and kiraly versions used in Central and Eastern Europe derive
from the name of Charlemagne.
 Raja, Indian for "ruler and King.". Cognate with Latin Rex, Gaelic Rí, etc.
 Rana, was used to be a title for martial sovereignty of Rajput kings in India.
 Deshmukh, Marathi for "ruler and king."
 Rí, Gaelic title meaning king, of which there were several grades, the highest being Ard
Rí (High king). Cognate with Indian Raja, Latin Rex, and ancient Gaulish rix.
 Khan, from the Turco-Mongol word for "lord," like Duke it was originally a military rank. A
Khan's realm is called a Khanate.
 Lamane, "master of the land" or "chief owner of the soil" in old Serer language were the
ancient hereditary kings and landed gentry of the Serer people found in Senegal,
the Gambia and Mauritania. The Lamanes were guardians of Serer religion and many of
them have been canonized as Holy Saints (Pangool).
 Eze, the Igbo word for the King or Ruler of a kingdom or city-state. It is cognate with Obi
and Igwe.
 Oba, the Yoruba word for King or Ruler of a kingdom or city-state. It is used across all
the traditional Yoruba lands, as well as by the Edo, throughout Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
  Omukama, King of Bunyoro-Kitara in Uganda, also the title of the Omukama of Toro.
 Kabaka, King of Buganda, a realm within Uganda in East Africa.
 Shah, Persian word for King, from Indo-European for "he who rules". Used in Persia,
alongside Shahanshah (see above). The title of the sons of a Shah is Shahzade /
Shahzadeh.
 Sultan, from Arabic and originally referring to one who had "power", more recently used
as synonym for King.
 Malik, Arabic for King.
 Tlatoani, Ruler of the atlepetl or city state in ancient Mexico. Title of the Aztec
Emperors. The word literally means "speaker" in Nahuatl, but may be translated into
English as "king".
 Ajaw, In Maya meaning "lord", "ruler", "king" or "leader". Was the title of the ruler in the
Classic Maya polity. A variant being the title of K'inich Ajaw or "Great Sun King" as it was
used to refer to the founder of the Copán dynasty, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'.
 Halach Uinik, In Maya meaning "real man", "person of fact" or "person of command".
Was the title of the ruler in the Post-Classic Maya polity (Kuchkabal).
 Datu in the Visayas and Mindanao which, together with the term Raja ( in the Rajahnate
of Cebu and Kingdom of Maynila) and Lakan (title widely used on the island of Luzon),
are the Filipino equivalents of "sovereign prince" and thus, glossed as "king". (Cf.
also Principalía — the hispanized and christianized Datu class during the Spanish
colonial period in the Philippines.)[3][4]
 Tuanku, literally "My Lord", the title of the kings of the nine Royal states of Malaysia; all
princes and princesses of the Royal Families also receive the appellation Tengku,
 Mwami in Rwanda
 Maad a Sinig, King of Sine, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Serer people. From the old
Serer title "Maad" (king).
 Maad Saloum, King of Saloum, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Serer people.
 Ratu, A Fijian chiefly title that is also found in Javanese culture.
 Susuhunan, "he to whom homage is paid", title of the Javanese monarch of
the Surakarta Sunanate.
 Teigne, King of Baol, previously a pre-colonial Serer kingdom.
 Nizam, The word is derived from the Arabic language Nizām (‫)نظام‬, meaning order,
arrangement. Nizām-ul-mulk was a title first used in Urdu around 1600 to mean
Governor of the realm or Deputy for the Whole Empire.
 Lugal, is the Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man."[5]
 Queen, from the Germanic *kwoeniz, or *kwenon, "wife"; cognate of Greek γυνή, gynē,
"woman"; from PIE *gʷḗn, "woman". The female equivalent of a King, or the consort of a
King; a Queen's realm is also a kingdom.
 Rani, Hindi for Queen. See Raja, above.
 Shahbanu, Persian for Empress. See Shah, above.
 Sultana, Arabic for Queen. See Sultan, above.
 Malika, Arabic for Queen.
 Malka, ancient Hebrew Queen.
 Ix-ajaw, See Ajaw above, it was a title was also given to women, though generally
prefixed with the sign Ix ("woman") to indicate their gender.
 Dayang, Filipino feminine equivalent of "Datu". See Datu
 Hara, Filipino feminine equivalent of "Raha". See Raja, above.
 Sovereign Grand Dukes or Grand Princes are considered to be part of the reigning nobility
("Royalty", in German Hochadel; their correct form of address is "Royal Highness")[6]
Princely, ducal, and other sovereign titles
 Prince, from the Latin princeps, meaning "first citizen". The feminine form
is Princess. Variant forms include the German Fürst and Russian Tsarevich (царевич) and
the feminine form Tsarevna (царевна).
 Bai, Filipino feminine equivalent of a prince.
 Ampuan, Maranao royal title which literally means "The One to whom one asks for
apology"
 Ginoo, Ancient Filipino equivalent to noble man or prince (now used in the form
"Ginoóng" as the analogue to "mister").
 Pillai, Ancient South Indian Title meaning Prince for junior children of Emperors[7]
 Morza, a Tartar title usually translated as "prince", it ranked below a Khan. The title was
borrowed from Persian and Indian appellation Mirza added to the names of certain
nobles, which itself derived from Emir.
 Knyaz, a title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a ruling or noble rank. It is
usually translated into English as "Duke".
 Despot, Greek for "lord, master", initially an appellation for the Byzantine emperor, later the
senior court title, awarded to sons and close relatives of the emperor. In the 13th-15th
centuries borne by autonomous and independent rulers in the Balkans.
 Duke, from the Latin Dux, meaning "leader," a military rank in the late Roman Empire.
Variant forms include Doge, and Duce; it has also been modified into Archduke (meaning
"chief" Duke), Grand Duke (literally "large," or "big" Duke; see above under royal titles), Vice
Duke ("deputy" Duke), etc. The female equivalent is Duchess.
 Ealdorman, Old English for "elder man", rendered Dux in Latin.
 Sheikh, is often used as a title for Arab royal families. Some Emirs of the Arabian Peninsula
use the title Sheikh ("elder" or "lord"), as do other members of the extended family.
 Emir, often rendered Amir in older English usage; from the Arabic "to command." The female
form is Emira (Amirah). Emir is the root of the naval rank "Admiral"
 Amir al-umara, Emir of Emirs.
 Mir, According to the book Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments, Mir is most probably
an Arabized form of Pir. Pir in Old Persian and Sanskrit means the old, the wise man, the
chief and the great leader. It was Arabized as Mir then, with Al(A) (Arabic definite article), it
was pronounced as Amir.
 Bey, or Beg/Baig, Turkish for "Chieftain."
 Begum, female royal and aristocratic title from Central and South Asia.
 Beylerbey, Bey of Beys.
 Atabeg, word is a compound of two Turkic words: ata, "ancestor", and beg or bey, "lord,
leader, prince".
 Beg Khan, concatenation of Baig and Khan.
 Khagan Bek, title used by Khazars.
 Derebey, feudal lord in Anatolia and the Pontic areas of Lazistan and Acara in the 18th
century.
 Buumi, first in line to the throne in Serer pre-colonial kingdoms.
 Thilas, second in line to the throne in Serer pre-colonial kingdoms.
 Loul, third in line to the throne in Serer country.
 Dey, title given to the rulers of the Regency of Algiers and Tripoli under the Ottoman Empire
from 1671 onwards.
 Sahib, name of Arabic origin meaning "holder, master or owner."
 Zamindar, were considered to be equivalent to lords and barons in some cases they were
seen as independent, sovereign princes.
 Jagir, also spelled as Jageer (Devanagari: ससससस, Persian: ‫جاگیر‬, ja- meaning "place", -
gir meaning "keeping, holding") The feudal owner/lord of the Jagir were
called Jagirdar or Jageerdar
 Sardar, also spelled as Sirdar, Sardaar or Serdar, is a title of nobility (sir-, sar/sair- means
"head or authority" and -dār means "holder" in Sanskrit and Avestan)
Tribal titles
 Tadodaho, derived from the name of the first "keeper of the council fire" of the Iroquois
Confederacy, Haudenosaunee, or Five Nations, refers to the individual with the highest
authority in both their modern territory and their spiritual way of life.
 Taoiseach (Irish pronunciation: [ˈt̪ ˠiːʃəx]) means leader. An Irish clan chief.
 Tánaiste (Irish pronunciation: [ˈt̪ ˠaːnˠaʃtʲə]) is the second in command of an Irish clan.
 Tòiseach, the Scottish Gaelic for clan chief.
 Tywysog (Welsh pronunciation: [təˈwəsɔɡ]), in modern Welsh, means "Prince" and is cognate
with Taoiseach and Tòiseach. Derived from the proto-Celtic *towissākos "chieftain, leader".
 Rí ruirech, King of Overlords, or rí cóicid, a provincial King in Ireland.
 Fon, the regional and tribal leaders in Cameroon.
Religious titles

 Caliph, was the ruler of the caliphate, an Islamic title indicating the successor
to Muhammad. Both a religious and a secular leader; the Caliph was the secular head of the
international Muslim community, as a nation. To claim the Caliphate was, theoretically, to
claim stewardship over Muslims on earth, under the sovereignty of Allah. (See Amir al-
Mu'minin above). This did not necessarily mean that the Caliph was himself the supreme
authority on Islamic law or theology; that still fell to the Ulema. The role of the Caliph was to
oversee and take responsibility for the Muslim community's political and governmental needs
(both within and beyond the borders of his territorial realm), rather than to himself determine
matters of doctrine, like the Pope.
 Dalai Lama, the highest authority in Tibetan (or more specifically Gelug) Buddhism and a
symbol of the unification of Tibet, said to belong to a line of reincarnations of
the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. Among other incarnate Tibetan lamas, the second highest
Gelug prelate is the Panchen Lama. From the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama until 1950 the
Dalai Lamas effectively ruled Tibet. The chief of the rival Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism
is the Karmapa.
 Pope, derived from Latin and Italian papa, the familiar form of "father" (also "Supreme
Pontiff of the Universal Church and Vicar of Christ"); once wielding substantial secular
power as the ruler of the Papal States and leader of Christendom, the Pope is also the
absolute ruler of the sovereign state Vatican City. Also the title of the leader of the Coptic
Church.
 Saltigue, the high priests and priestesses of the Serer people. They are the diviners in Serer
religion.
Other sovereigns, royalty, peers, and major nobility[edit]
Main articles: Royal family, Peerage, Nobility, and Imperial immediacy
Several ranks were widely used (for more than a thousand years in Europe alone) for both
sovereign rulers and non-sovereigns. Additional knowledge about the territory and historic period
is required to know whether the rank holder was a sovereign or non-sovereign. However, joint
precedence among rank holders often greatly depended on whether a rank holder was
sovereign, whether of the same rank or not. This situation was most widely exemplified by
the Holy Roman Empire (HRE) in Europe. Several of the following ranks were commonly both
sovereign and non-sovereign within the HRE. Outside of the HRE, the most common sovereign
rank of these below was that of Prince. Within the HRE, those holding the following ranks who
were also sovereigns had (enjoyed) what was known as an immediate relationship with the
Emperor. Those holding non-sovereign ranks held only a mediaterelationship (meaning that the
civil hierarchy upwards was mediated by one or more intermediaries between the rank holder
and the Emperor).
Titles

 Archduke, ruler of an archduchy; used exclusively by the Habsburg dynasty and its junior
branch of Habsburg-Lorraine which ruled the Holy Roman Empire (until 1806), the Austrian
Empire (1804-1867), and the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918) for imperial family
 members of the dynasty, each retaining it as a subsidiary title when founding
sovereign cadet branches by acquiring thrones under different titles
(e.g., Tuscany, Modena); it was also used for those ruling some Habsburg territories such as
those that became the modern so-called "Benelux" nations (Belgium, Netherlands,
Luxembourg); The title was created in 1358 by the Habsburgs themselves to establish a
precedence of their princes over the other titleholders of high nobility of the era; therefore the
rank was not recognized by the other ruling dynasties until 1453[8]
 Grand Duke, ruler of a grand duchy; nowadays considered to be in precedence the third
highest monarchial rank in the western world, after "Emperor" and "King" or "Queen"
 Grand Prince (Velikiy Knyaz), ruler of a grand principality; a title primarily used in the
medieval Kyivan Rus' principalities; It was also used by the Romanovs of the Russian
Empire for members of the imperial family, although then it is more commonly translated into
English as Grand Duke
 Grand Župan, like a Russian Grand Prince to a Knyaz.
 Duke (Herzog in German), ruler[a] of a duchy;[b] also for junior members of ducal and some
grand ducal families
 Prince (Prinz in German), junior members of a royal, grand ducal, ruling ducal or princely, or
mediatised family. The title of Fürst was usually reserved, from the 19th century, for rulers of
principalities—the smallest sovereign entities (e.g., Liechtenstein, Lippe, Schwarzburg,
Waldeck-and-Pyrmont)—and for heads of high-ranking, noble but non-ruling families
(Bismarck, Clary und Aldringen, Dietrichstein, Henckel von Donnersmarck, Kinsky, Paar,
Pless, Thun und Hohenstein, etc.). Cadets of these latter families were generally not allowed
to use Prinz, being accorded only the style of count (Graf) or, occasionally, that
of Fürst (Wrede, Urach) even though it was also a ruling title. Exceptional use of Prinzwas
permitted for some morganatic families (e.g., Battenberg, Montenuovo) and a few others
(Carolath-Beuthen, Biron von Kurland).
 In particular, Crown prince (Kronprinz in German) was reserved for the heir apparent of
an emperor or king
 Ban, noble title used in several states in Central and Southeastern Europe between the
7th century and the 20th century.
 Dauphin, title of the heir apparent of the royal family of France, as he was the de jure ruler of
the Dauphiné region in southeastern France (under the authority of the King)
 Infante, title of the cadet members of the royal families of Portugal and Spain
 Królewicz, title used by the children of the monarchs of Poland and later Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth
 Elector (Kurfürst in German), a rank for those who voted for the Holy Roman Emperor,
usually sovereign of a state (e.g. the Margrave of Brandenburg, an elector, called the Elector
of Brandenburg)
 Marquess, Margrave, or Marquis (literally "Count of a March" (=Border territory)) was the
ruler of a marquessate, margraviate, or march
 Landgrave (literally "Land Count"), a German title, ruler of a landgraviate
 Count, theoretically the ruler of a county; known as an Earl in modern Britain; known as
a Graf in German, known as a Serdar in Montenegro and Serbia
 Župan, noble and administrative title used in several states in Central and Southeastern
Europe between the 7th century and the 21st century.
 Ispán, leader of a castle district (a fortress and the royal lands attached to it) in
the Kingdom of Hungary from the early 11th century.
 Principal (m.)/Principala (f.), a person belonging to the aristocratic ruling class of Filipino
nobles called Principalía, roughly equivalent to ancient Roman Patricians, through whom the
Spanish Monarchs ruled the Philippines during the colonial period (c. 1600s to 1898).[9][10]
 Viscount (vice-count), theoretically the ruler of a viscounty, which did not develop into
a hereditary title until much later.[11] In the case of French viscounts, it is customary to leave
the title untranslated as vicomte [vi.kɔt̃ ].
 Primor, a Hungarian noble title, originally the highest rank of Székely nobility, usually
compared to baron (or less commonly, count)[12]. Originally, primores could de jure not be
evicted from his fiefdom, even by the King of Hungary (although such instances did occur)[13].
 Freiherr, a German word meaning literally "Free Master" or "Free Lord" (i.e. not subdued to
feudal chores or drudgery), is the German equivalent of the English term "Baron", with the
important difference that unlike the British Baron, he is not a "Peer of the Realm" (member of
the high aristocracy)[14]
 Baron, theoretically the ruler of a barony – some barons in some countries may have been
"free barons" (liber baro) and as such, regarded (themselves) as higher barons.
 Rais, is a used by the rulers of Arab states and South Asia.
 Yuvraj, is an Indian title for crown prince, the heir apparent to the throne of an Indian
(notably Hindu) kingdom
 Subahdar, is normally appointed from the Mughal princes or the officers holding the highest
mansabs.
Regarding the titles of Grand Duke, Duke and Prince:
In all European countries, the sovereign Grand Duke (or Grand Prince in some eastern European
languages) is considered to be the third highest monarchic title in precedence, after Emperor and
King.
In Germany, a sovereign Duke (Herzog) outranks a sovereign prince (Fürst). A cadet prince
(Prinz) who belongs to an imperial or royal dynasty, however, may outrank a duke who is the
cadet of a reigning house, e.g., Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Mecklenburg or Oldenburg.
The children of a sovereign Grand Duke may be titled "Prince" (Luxembourg, Tuscany, Baden,
Hesse-Darmstadt, Saxe-Weimar) or "Duke" (Oldenburg) in accordance with the customs of the
dynasty. The heir of the throne of a Grand Duchy is titled "Hereditary Grand Duke", as soon as
he reaches the full legal age (majority).
Children of a sovereign (i.e., ruling) Duke and of a ruling Prince (Fürst) were, however, all titled
prince (Prinz).
The heir apparent to a ruling or mediatised title would usually prepend the prefix Erb- (hereditary)
to his or her title, e.g., Erbherzog, Erbprinz, Erbgraf, to distinguish their status from that of their
junior siblings.
Children of a mediatised Fürst were either Prinzen or Grafen (counts), depending upon whether
the princely title was limited to descent by masculine primogeniture or not. In the German non-
sovereign nobility, a Duke (Herzog) still ranked higher than a Prince (Fürst).
Minor nobility, gentry, and other aristocracy[edit]
Main articles: Aristocracy (class) and Gentry
The distinction between the ranks of the major nobility (listed above) and the minor nobility, listed
here, was not always a sharp one in all nations. But the precedence of the ranks of a Baronet or
a Knight is quite generally accepted for where this distinction exists for most nations. Here the
rank of Baronet (ranking above a Knight) is taken as the highest rank among the ranks of the
minor nobility or gentry that are listed below.
Titles

 Baronet is a hereditary title ranking below Baron but above Knight; this title is granted only in
the British Isles and does not confer nobility. Ritter in German lands is the equivalent.
 Dominus was the Latin title of the feudal, superior and mesne, lords, and also an
ecclesiastical and academical title (equivalent of Lord)
 Vidame, a minor French aristocrat
 Vavasour, also a petty French feudal lord
 Seigneur or Lord of the manor rules a smaller local fief
 Knight is the central rank of the Medieval aristocratic system in Europe (and having its
equivalents elsewhere), usually ranking at or near the top of the Minor Nobility
 Patrician is a dignity of minor nobility or gentry (most often being hereditary) usually ranking
below Knight but above Esquire
 Fidalgo or Hidalgo is a minor Portuguese and Spanish aristocrat (respectively; from filho
d'algo / hijo de algo, lit. "son of something")
 Nobile is an Italian title of nobility for prestigious families that never received a title
 Edler is a minor aristocrat in Germany and Austria during those countries' respective
imperial periods.
 Jonkheer is an honorific for members of noble Dutch families that never received a title. An
untitled noblewoman is styled Jonkvrouw, though the wife of a Jonkheer is a Mevrouwor,
sometimes, Freule, which could also be used by daughters of the same.
 Junker is a German noble honorific, meaning "young nobleman" or otherwise "young lord"
 Skartabel is a minor Polish aristocrat.
 Scottish Baron is a hereditary feudal nobility dignity, outside the Scots peerage, recognised
by Lord Lyon as a member of the Scots noblesse and ranking below a Knight but above a
Scottish Laird[15][c] in the British system. However, Scottish Barons on the European continent
are considered and treated equal to European barons.
 Laird is a Scottish hereditary feudal dignity ranking below a Scottish Baron but above an
Esquire
 Esquire is a rank of gentry originally derived from Squire and indicating the status of an
attendant to a knight, an apprentice knight, or a manorial lord;[16] it ranks below Knight (or in
Scotland below Laird) but above Gentleman[d][e]
 Gentleman is the basic rank of gentry (ranking below Esquire), historically primarily
associated with land; within British Commonwealth nations it is also roughly equivalent to
some minor nobility of some continental European nations[17]
 Bibi, means Miss in Urdu and is frequently used as a respectful title for women in South Asia
when added to the given name
 Lalla, is an Amazigh title of respect. The title is a prefix to her given name or personal name,
and is used by females usually of noble or royal background.
 Sidi, is a masculine title of respect, meaning "my master" in Darija and Egyptian Arabic.
 Qanungoh Shaikh, are a clan of Muslim Shaikhs in Punjab, other parts of Pakistan, and
Afghanistan.
In Germany, the constitution of the Weimar Republic in 1919 ceased to accord privileges to
members of dynastic and noble families. Their titles henceforth became legal parts of the family
name, and traditional forms of address (e.g., "Hoheit" or "Durchlaucht") ceased to be accorded to
them by governmental entities. The last title was conferred on 12 November 1918 to Kurt von
Klefeld. The actual rank of a title-holder in Germany depended not only on the nominal rank of
the title, but also the degree of sovereignty exercised, the rank of the title-holder's suzerain, and
the length of time the family possessed its status within the nobility (Uradel, Briefadel,
altfürstliche, neufürstliche, see: German nobility). Thus, any reigning sovereign ranks higher than
any deposed or mediatized sovereign (e.g., the Fürst of Waldeck, sovereign until 1918, was
higher than the Duke of Arenberg, head of a mediatized family, although Herzog is nominally a
higher title than Fürst). However, former holders of higher titles in extant monarchies retained
their relative rank, i.e., a queen dowager of Belgium outranks the reigning Prince of
Liechtenstein. Members of a formerly sovereign or mediatized house rank higher than the
nobility. Among the nobility, those whose titles derive from the Holy Roman Empire rank higher
than the holder of an equivalent title granted by one of the German monarchs after 1806.
In Austria, nobility titles may no longer be used since 1918.[18]