Traditional rank amongst European imperiality,

royalty Royalty may refer to: * the mystique/prestige bestowed upon monarchs ** one or more monarchs, such as kings, queens, emperors, empresses, princes, princesses, etc. *** royal family, the immediate family of a king or queen-regnant, and sometimes h ...

peers Peers may refer to: People * Donald Peers * Edgar Allison Peers, English academician * Gavin Peers * John Peers, Australian tennis player * Kerry Peers * Mark Peers * Michael Peers * Steve Peers * Teddy Peers (1886–1935), Welsh internationa ...

, and

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

is rooted in

Late Antiquity Late antiquity marks the period that comes after the end of classical antiquity and stretches into the onset of the Early Middle Ages. Late antiquity as a period was popularized by Peter Brown (historian), Peter Brown in 1971, and this periodiza ...

and the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. Although they vary over time and among

geographic region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

s (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's

grand duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...

), the following is a reasonably comprehensive list that provides information on both general ranks and specific differences. Distinction should be made between reigning (or formerly reigning) families and the nobility – the latter being a social class subject to and created by the former.

Sovereign

* The word ''monarch'' is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

, ''monárkhēs'', "sole ruler" (from , ''mónos'', "single" or "sole", and , ''árkhōn'', "

archon ''Archon'' (, plural: , ''árchontes'') is a Greek word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem , meaning "to be first, to rule", derived from the same ...

", "leader", "ruler", "chief", the word being the present participle of the verb , ''árkhein'', "to rule", "to lead", this from the noun , ''arkhē'', "beginning", "authority", "principle") through the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

ized form . * The word ''sovereign'' is derived from the

("above"). *

Autocrat Autocracy is a form of government in which absolute power is held by the head of state and government, known as an autocrat. It includes some forms of monarchy and all forms of dictatorship, while it is contrasted with democracy and feudalism. ...

is derived from the Greek : ("self") and ("to hold power"), and may be translated as "one who rules by himself.” 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.), royal (King/Queen, Grand Duke, etc.), others (sovereign Prince, sovereign Duke, etc.), and religious.

Imperial titles

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

" (in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

), (in Portuguese), (in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

), (in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

) and (in

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

), from the Latin , was originally a military title. Soldiers would salute the leader of a victorious army as ''. In English, the feminine form is Empress (the Latin is '). The realm of an emperor or empress is termed an ''Empire''. Other words meaning Emperor include: **

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

, a Roman honorific title which means "venerable" or "majestic", used by Roman Emperors from the beginning of the Empire onwards. The feminine form is Augusta. **

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

, the appellation of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

emperors derived from the Roman

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

, whose great-nephew and adopted son

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

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 Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

, however, the familial link of the

Julio-Claudian dynasty The Julio-Claudian dynasty comprised the first five Roman emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. This line of emperors ruled the Roman Empire, from its formation (under Augustus, in 27 BC) until the last of the line, Emper ...

was disrupted and use of the word ''Caesar'' continued as a title only. ***

Kaiser Kaiser ( ; ) is the title historically used by German and Austrian emperors. In German, the title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (). In English, the word ''kaiser'' is mainly applied to the emperors ...

, derived from Caesar, primarily used in Germanic countries. The feminine form in German is Kaiserin. *** Tsar / Tzar / Csar / Czar, derived as shortened variant of the Slavic pronunciation of Caesar (''tsyasar''), the feminine form is

Tsaritsa Tsarina or tsaritsa (also spelled ''csarina'' or ''csaricsa'', ''tzarina'' or ''tzaritza'', or ''czarina'' or ''czaricza''; ; ; ) is the title of a female autocratic ruler (monarch) of Bulgaria, Serbia, and Russia, or the title of a tsar's wife ...

, primarily used in Bulgaria, and after that in Russia and other Slavic countries, although in English Tsarina was also sometimes used. *** Keizer, the Dutch word for Caesar. The Dutch and Portuguese gave the rulers of

Sonbai Sonbai (also spelt ''Sonnebay'', ''Sonba'i'', or ''Sonbait'') was an Indonesian princely dynasty that reigned over various parts of West Timor from at least the 17th century until the 1950s. It was known as the most prestigious princedom of the At ...

the title of "emperor" (''keizer'', ''imperador''). ** Basileus kai Autokrator,

Medieval Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic; Greek: ) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the ...

title meaning "sovereign and autocrat", used by the Greek Byzantine Emperors from the 9th century onwards. ** Huēyi Tlahtloāni, the

Classical Nahuatl Classical Nahuatl, also known simply as Aztec or Codical Nahuatl (if it refers to the variants employed in the Mesoamerican Codices through the medium of Aztec Hieroglyphs) and Colonial Nahuatl (if written in Post-conquest documents in the Lat ...

term for the ruler of multiple , a

pre-Hispanic In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European c ...

city-state in

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...

, commonly referring to the head of the

Aztec Triple Alliance The Aztec Empire, also known as the Triple Alliance (, �jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ or the Tenochca Empire, was an alliance of three Nahua city-states: , , and . These three city-states ruled that area in and around the Vall ...

, or

Aztec Empire The Aztec Empire, also known as the Triple Alliance (, Help:IPA/Nahuatl, �jéːʃkaːn̥ t͡ɬaʔtoːˈlóːjaːn̥ or the Tenochca Empire, was an alliance of three Nahuas, Nahua altepetl, city-states: , , and . These three city-states rul ...

. It is variously translated in English as "Great Speaker" or the equivalent to the European " great king" or "

high king A high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings, without the title of emperor. Similar titles include great king and king of kings. The high kings of history usually ruled over lands of cultural unity; thus ...

", though more usually as "

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

". **

Sapa Inca The Sapa Inca (from ; ) was the monarch of the Inca Empire (''Tawantinsuyu'' "the region of the four rovinces), as well as ruler of the earlier Kingdom of Cusco and the later Neo-Inca State at Vilcabamba, Peru, Vilcabamba. While the origins ...

, The Sapa Inca (Hispanicized spelling) or Sapa Inka (

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several Indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, an Indigenous South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language ...

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 The Kingdom of Cusco (sometimes spelled ''Cuzco'' and in Quechua languages, Quechua ''Qosqo'' or ''Qusqu''), also called the Cusco confederation, the Cusco chiefdom, or the Inca Kingdom, was a small polity based in the Andes, Andean city of Cus ...

and, later, the monarch of the ''Tawantinsuyu'' (called

Inca Empire The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

by historians) and the

Neo-Inca State The Neo-Inca State, also known as the Neo-Inca state of Vilcabamba, was the Inca state established in 1537 at Vilcabamba, Peru, Vilcabamba by Manco Inca Yupanqui (the son of Inca emperor Huayna Capac). It is considered a rump state of the Inca ...

. ** Samrat, (Sanskrit: samrāt or ) is an

ancient India Anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. The earliest known human remains in South Asia date to 30,000 years ago. Sedentism, Sedentariness began in South Asia around 7000 BCE; ...

n title meaning "king of all lands". The feminine form is Samrājñī ("queen of all lands"). ** Chakravarti, the universal monarch in the

Indian cultural sphere Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples o ...

. The feminine form is Chakravartini. *** Chakravartigal, the equivalent of the northern Chakravartin. Used by the emperors of the

Chola Empire The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...

. *** Tribhuvana-Chakravartin, literally "emperor of the three worlds", used by the

Cholas The Chola dynasty () was a Tamil dynasty originating from Southern India. At its height, it ruled over the Chola Empire, an expansive maritime empire. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd cen ...

*** Cakkavattin,

Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...

for Chakravartin. Claimed by the Siamese, Khmer, Lao, and Burmese monarchs. **** Chakkaphat, the Thai/Lao version of Cakkavattin *** 轉輪王 ("wheel-turning king") or 轉輪聖王 ("wheel-turning sacred king"), the Chinese characters for Chakravarti, used in East Asia **** 金輪王 or 金輪聖王, meaning "cakravartin of the golden wheel", used by the Chinese empress

Wu Zetian Wu Zetian (624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was List of rulers of China#Tang dynasty, Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as queen consort , empress consort th ...

, the Japanese emperor

Go-Daigo Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後醍醐天皇 (96) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order o ...

, etc. ****

Emperor Manjushri The Emperor Manjushri or Great Emperor Manjushri (; ; Manchu: , Mölendorff: ''Manjusiri han'' or ) was an honorific title in Tibetan Buddhism given to emperors of China's Qing dynasty, notably the Qianlong Emperor. Kublai Khan, founder of the M ...

, one of the titles for the Qing emperors. Related to the wheel-turning king ( Chakravarti). **

Padishah Padishah (; ) is a superlative sovereign title of Persian origin. A form of the word is known already from Middle Persian (or Pahlavi) as ''pātaxšā(h)'' or ''pādixšā(y)''. Middle Persian ''pād'' may stem from Avestan ''paiti'', and is ...

, Persian ''pād'' "master" and ''shāh'' "king". Used in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

. ** 皇帝 is the title of emperors in

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

. An emperor is called ''Huángdì'' in Chinese, ''Hwangje'' in Korean, ''Hoàng đế'' in Vietnamese, and ''Kōtei'' in Japanese, but these are all just their respective pronunciations of the Chinese characters 皇帝. *** Huangdi (皇帝), the Imperial monarch during

Imperial China The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...

. **** Da Huangdi (大皇帝), literally "great emperor", one of the titles for the Qing emperors *** Hwangje (황제; 皇帝), title used for emperors of the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire, officially the Empire of Korea or Imperial Korea, was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire lasted until the Japanese annexation of Korea in August 1910. Dur ...

**** Seonghwang (성황; 聖皇), literally "holy emperor", one of the titles for the rulers of the

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

. It is a combination of 聖 (''seong''), meaning "holy", and 皇, an abbreviation of 皇帝 (''hwangje''). *** Hoàng đế (皇帝), Vietnamese, meaning "emperor" ***Kōtei (), Japanese title primarily used for emperors of other nations (e.g. Rome, Russia, China, Germany). ''

Tennō The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

'' refers only to an emperor of Japan, whereas ''kōtei'' refers to an emperor of any country. ****

(), meaning "heavenly emperor", title used for emperors of Japan. It is a combination of

天 Tian () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, Chinese philosophy, philosophy, and cosmology. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to their highest god as ''Shan ...

(''ten''), meaning "heavenly", and 皇, an abbreviation of 皇帝 (''kōtei''). **** Mikado (帝), the traditional title for ''

''. 帝 (''mikado'') is an abbreviation of 皇帝 (''kōtei''). **

King of Kings King of Kings, ''Mepet mepe''; , group="n" was a ruling title employed primarily by monarchs based in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Commonly associated with History of Iran, Iran (historically known as name of Iran, Persia ...

, the style of monarchic title used in a number of empires ***

Khagan Khagan or Qaghan (Middle Mongol:; or ''Khagan''; ) or zh, c=大汗, p=Dàhán; ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan, Khaqan, Xagahn, Qaghan, Chagan, Қан, or Kha'an is a title of empire, im ...

, derived from "khan of khans", used by the

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

nomads Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, Nomadic pastoralism, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and Merchant, trader nomads. In the twentieth century, ...

. The feminine form is

Khatun Khatun ( ) is a title of the female counterpart to a Khan (title), khan or a khagan of the Göktürks, Turkic Khaganates and in the subsequent Mongol Empire. Etymology and history Before the advent of Islam in Central Asia, Khatun was the title of ...

. **** Tian Kehan (天可汗), meaning " heavenly

khagan Khagan or Qaghan (Middle Mongol:; or ''Khagan''; ) or zh, c=大汗, p=Dàhán; ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan, Khaqan, Xagahn, Qaghan, Chagan, Қан, or Kha'an is a title of empire, im ...

", given to

Tang Taizong Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty fo ...

and

Tang Gaozong Emperor Gaozong of Tang (21 July 628 – 27 December 683), personal name Li Zhi, was the third emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty, ruling from 649 to 683; after January 665, he handed power over the empire to his second wife Empress Wu (the f ...

by Turkic nomads *** Šar Šarrāni, Akkadian for "king of kings" ***

Shahanshah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the List of monarchs of Iran, monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the ...

, Persian title equivalent of the style

, meaning "shah of shahs". Used by Persian/Iranian monarchs. *** Sulṭānü's-Selāṭīn, the sultanic equivalent of the style King of Kings, meaning "Sultan of Sultans". *** Basileus Basileōn,

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

title meaning "king of kings", used by

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

after the similar title of the

Achaemenid dynasty The Achaemenid dynasty ( ; ; ; ) was a royal house that ruled the Achaemenid Empire, which eventually stretched from Egypt and Thrace in the west to Central Asia and the Indus Valley in the east. Origins The history of the Achaemenid dy ...

of Persia. A translation from Ancient Persian

. ***

Nəgusä Nägäst The emperor of Ethiopia (, "King of Kings"), also known as the Atse (, "emperor"), was the hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. The emperor was the head of state ...

, title of the rulers of

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

, meaning "king of kings". *** Ark'ayits Ark'a, Արքայից Արքայ, Armenian for "king of kings" ***

Mepe-Mepeta ''Mepe'' (Old Georgian: ႫႴ; ka, მეფე ; ) is a royal title used to designate the Georgian monarch, whether it is referring to a king or a queen regnant. The title was originally a male ruling title. Etymology The word is derived from ...

, მეფეთა მეფე, Georgian for "king of kings" ***

Rajadhiraja ''Rajadhi Raja'' () is a 2014 Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Ajai Vasudev, written by Udayakrishna-Siby K. Thomas and produced by Good Line Productions. The film stars Mammootty, alongside Joy Mathew, Siddique (actor), Sid ...

, Sanskrit for "king of kings" ****

Maharajadhiraja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a prince. However, in late ancient India ...

, meaning "great king of kings", used by the emperors of the

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire during the classical period of the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century to mid 6th century CE. At its zenith, the dynasty ruled over an empire that spanned much of the northern Indian ...

. In ancient India it was an imperial title, but it later became a royal title. *** Malik al-Muluk, Arabic title meaning "king of kings"

Royal titles

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

, from the Germanic ''*kuningaz'', roughly meaning "son of the people." (See:

Germanic kingship Germanic kingship is a thesis regarding the role of kings among the pre-Christianized Germanic tribes of the Migration period (c. 300–700 AD) and Early Middle Ages (c. 700–1000 AD). The thesis holds that the institution of feudal mona ...

) The realm of a king is termed a kingdom (sovereign kings are ranked above vassal kings). The female equivalent of a king is a

queen regnant A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning ...

, and a consort is

queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

, from the Germanic ''*kwoeniz'', or ''*kwenon'', "wife"; cognate of

γυνή, ''gynē'', "woman"; from

PIE A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts ( pecan pie), fruit preserves ( jam tart ...

''*gʷḗn'', "woman". Regardless of a ruler's sex, their realm is known as a ''kingdom''. ** Rex, Latin for king, the feminine form is Regina. **Rei (in Portuguese and Catalan), Rey (in

), Re (in

), Roi (in

), Rege (in

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

) - Derived from Latin Rex, meaning "ruler". Rex is cognate with Raja, ''Rí'', Reign, Regina, Arqa (Armenian Արքա), etc. **

Basileus ''Basileus'' () is a Greek term and title that has signified various types of monarchs throughout history. In the English language, English-speaking world, it is perhaps most widely understood to mean , referring to either a or an . The title ...

, from

Mycenaean Greek Mycenaean Greek is the earliest attested form of the Greek language. It was spoken on the Greek mainland and Crete in Mycenaean Greece (16th to 12th centuries BC). The language is preserved in inscriptions in Linear B, a script first atteste ...

meaning "chieftain", used by various Ancient Greek rulers. **

Bretwalda ''Bretwalda'' (also ''brytenwalda'' and ''bretenanwealda'', sometimes capitalised) is an Old English word. The first record comes from the late 9th-century ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle''. It is given to some of the rulers of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms from ...

, title given to some of the rulers of

Anglo-Saxon kingdoms The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to Ge ...

from the 5th century onwards who had achieved overlordship of some or all of the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. ** Arka or Arqa (Արքա) is a royal title (king) in Great Armenia and various Kingdoms of Armenia. Another used name was Tagavor or Thagawor, which also appeared later in

Cilician Armenia The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, also known as Cilician Armenia, Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia, was an Armenians, Armenian state formed during the High Middle Ages b ...

. ** Melech, Hebrew word for king. The word for queen is Malka. **

王 is a Chinese character encountered in East Asian languages. It was grouped with as Radical 96 in the ''Kangxi'' radicals. It may also refer to: * kings, in reference to non-Chinese states * the early Chinese sovereigns of the Xia, Shang, and ...

is the title of kings in East Asia. A king is called ''Wáng'' in Chinese, ''Wang'' in Korean, ''Vương'' in Vietnamese, and ''Ō'' in Japanese, but these are all just their respective pronunciations of the Chinese character 王. *** Wáng (王), the

head of state A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "

he head of state He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...

being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...

Ancient China The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...

. In ancient China it was a royal title, but later became a princely title. **** (霸王), meaning "

Hegemon Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one state over other states, either regional or global. In Ancient Greece (ca. 8th BC – AD 6th c.), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of the ''hegemon'' ...

-King" ****

Tian Wang Heavenly King or Tian Wang (), also translated as Heavenly Prince, is a Chinese title for various religious deities and divine leaders throughout history, as well as an alternate form of the term ''Son of Heaven'', referring to the emperor. The ...

(天王), meaning "heavenly king" **** (異姓王), meaning "different surnamed king/prince". This title was granted to subjects as a peerage. ***

Wang Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) Wang () is the pinyin romanization of Chinese, romanization of the common Chinese surname (''Wáng''). It has a mixture of various origin with uncertain lineage of family history, however it is c ...

(왕; 王), Korean, meaning "king" **** Daewang (대왕; 大王), Korean title meaning "great king" ****

Taewang Imperial titles were used in various History of Korea, historical Korean states before the 14th century and at the turn of the 20th century: Early Korean states used ''Daewang'' (대왕; 大王, "great king"), ''Taewang'' (태왕; 太王, "gr ...

(태왕; 太王), literally "greatest king", a Korean title for the rulers of the

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...

**** Seongwang (성왕; 聖王), meaning "holy king", used by the

Balhae Balhae,, , ) also rendered as Bohai or Bohea, and called Jin (; ) early on, was a multiethnic kingdom established in 698 by Dae Joyeong (Da Zuorong). It was originally known as the Kingdom of Jin (震, Zhen) until 713 when its name was changed ...

monarchs **** Sinseongjewang (신성제왕; 神聖帝王), literally "holy emperor-king", one of the titles for the rulers of the

***

Vương Vương or Vuong (Chữ Nôm: ) is a Vietnamese surname, meaning King. In the United States, Vuong was the 7,635th most common surname during the 1990 United States census, 1990 census and the 4,556th most common during the 2000 United States cens ...

(王), Vietnamese, meaning "king". In ancient Vietnam it was a royal title, but later became a princely title. **** Đại vương (大王), Vietnamese, meaning "great king/prince" ***Ō (王), Japanese, meaning "king", or "sovereign". Also the title for the rulers of the

Wakoku Wa-koku (倭國, literally "Wa-nation") was the name used by early imperial China and its neighbouring states to refer to the nation usually identified as Japan. There are various theories regarding the extent of power of the early kings of Japan. ...

. In ancient Japan it was a royal title, but later became a princely title. The female title is Joō (女王). ****

Okimi Ōkimi (, also read as ''Daiō''), or Ame no shita Siroshimesu Ōkimi (, Chi Tenka Daiō), was the title of the head of the Yamato Kingship, or the monarch title of Wakoku (Old Japan).

(大王), Japanese title meaning "great king" **Król (in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

) Král (in

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

), Király (in Hungarian), Король (in

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

and Ukrainian), Кароль (in

Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...

), Краљ / Kralj (in Croatian and Serbian), Крал (in Bulgarian), Crai (in

), Korol – Derived from Old East Slavic Король ''king'', used in Kazakh, Tatar, and Kyrgyz languages. The ''korol'', ''krol'', ''kral'', ''крал'' and ''kiraly'' versions used in

Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

and

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

derive from the name of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

. ** Tsenpo, also known as Ihase or "Divine Son", was the title of the monarchs of

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

. **

Chanyu Chanyu () or Shanyu (), short for Chengli Gutu Chanyu (), was the title used by the supreme rulers of Inner Asian nomads for eight centuries until superseded by the title "''Khagan''" in 402 AD. The title was most famously used by the ruling L ...

, short for Chengli Gutu Chanyu (撐犁孤塗單于) was a title used by supreme nomadic rulers of Inner Asia. Meaning "Son of Heaven, Ruler of the North", it was later superseded by the title

. **

Rí Rí, or commonly ríg (genitive), is an ancient Gaelic word meaning 'king'. It is used in historical texts referring to the Irish and Scottish kings, and those of similar rank. While the Modern Irish word is exactly the same, in modern Scottis ...

Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...

title meaning king, of which there were several grades, the highest being

Ard Rí High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

(high king). Cognate with Indian ''Raja'', Latin ''Rex'', and ancient Gaulish ''Rix''. **Arasan (அரசன்), Vēndhar (வேந்தர்), Kō (கோ) are the various titles referring to the King in Tamil. **

Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

, Sanskrit, later Hindustani, for "king". Cognate with Latin ''Rex'', Irish ''Rí'', Armenian ''Arqa'', etc. The female equivalent is

Rani ''Rani'' () is a female title, equivalent to queen, for royal or princely rulers in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It translates to 'queen' in English. It is also a Sanskrit Hindu feminine given name. The term applies equally to a ...

. The Filipino feminine equivalent is Hara. ***

Devaraja Devaraja () was a religious order of the "god-king," or Divinity, deified monarch in medieval Southeast Asia. The devarāja order grew out of both Hinduism and separate local traditions depending on the area. It taught that the monarch, king w ...

, literally "god king". A title in the

Khmer Empire The Khmer Empire was an empire in Southeast Asia, centered on Hydraulic empire, hydraulic cities in what is now northern Cambodia. Known as Kambuja (; ) by its inhabitants, it grew out of the former civilization of Chenla and lasted from 802 t ...

and throughout

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

***Raya, a regional variation of Raja. ***Devaraya, literally "god king", used by the

Vijayanagara Vijayanagara () is a city located in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka state in India.Vijayanagara

monarchs ***
Rai (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial and subscription television channels a ...
, a regional variation of Raja. *** Rao, a regional variation of Raja. ***
Rana Rana may refer to: Astronomy * Rana (crater), a crater on Mars * Delta Eridani or Rana, a star Films * Rana (2012 film), an Indian Kannada-language action drama * Rana, a 1998 Telugu-language action film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy * R ...
, a regional variation of Raja. ***
Rawal Rawal may refer to: Places * Rawal, Uttar Pradesh, India * Rawal, Kapurthala, India * Rawal lake, in Pakistan Other uses * Rawal (caste), an Indian community from Rajasthan and Gujarat * Rawal (name), including a list of people with the nam ...
, a regional variation of Raja. ***Racha / Rachini written in Thai as ราชา or ราชินี. deriving from the sanskrit राज (''rāja'', “king”). King is ราชา (Racha), Queen is ราชินี (Rachini). Typically refer to the person, not necessary a title. **Khosi a king in Lesotho, Botswana and other Sotho speaking communities. **Kamonteng Ansi (กมรเตงอัญศรี) deriving from Old Khmer, used for Sukhothai kings. Meaning: "Lord of Our Lives." Used for king ''Kamonteng Ansi'' Inthrabodinthrathit, and ''Phrabat Kamonteng Ansi'' Rammarat. In which, following the latter's reign, the title became defunct **Khun (ขุน) an archaic Thai term referring to a leader. ***Pho Khun (พ่อขุน) derivation of Khun. Used during the Sukhothai kingdom era. An example is ''Pho Khun''
Ban Mueang Ban Mueang (, ) was a king of Sukhothai, an ancient kingdom in Thailand. He was from the House of Phra Ruang. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation, 2011: 22. Name The name ''Ban Mueang'' () means "one who delights the nation". Wongthe ...
***Khun Luang (ขุนหลวง) derivation of Khun. Used during the Ayutthaya kingdom era. This title is not used with names, only to refer to the person only. For example, to refer to the King. One says Khun Luang, never Khun Luang Ekkathat. If one wishes to refer to a king, one must either say the regnant name: ''Somdet Phra''
Borommaracha III Borommarachathirat III, or Borom Rachathirat III () was the king of Ayutthaya from 1488 to 1491. He was a son of Trailokanat and served as Trailokanat’s regent in Ayutthaya during his father’s campaigns against Lanna in the north. Trailokanat ...
or a personal (formal) name: ''Somdet Phra Chao''
Ekkathat Ekkathat (, , ) or Borommoracha III () or King of Suriyamarin Throne Hall () was the 6th monarch of the Ban Phlu Luang dynasty, the 33rd and the last monarch of Ayutthaya Kingdom, ruling from 1758 to 7 April 1767, prior to the fall of Ayutthaya. ...
. **Chao (เจ้า) means Lord or Master. ***Phra Chao (พระเจ้า) informal version of Somdet Phra Chao. A derivation of Chao. ***Somdet Phra Chao (สมเด็จพระเจ้า) a derivation of Chao. ***Chao Fa (เจ้าฟ้า) a generally use title for chieftain, lord, and kings among the Tai people. This is also used for personal names of Thai Kings. A derivation of Chao. Though in modern Thailand, this might be refer to a prince or princess. ***Sao Möm, a derivatiom of Chao used among Tai peoples in the Shan State. ***Sao, a derivatiom of Chao used among Tai peoples in the Shan State. **Nai Luang (ในหลวง) informally referring to a king, the King of Thailand. **Phraya (พระยา) an archaic title referring to a Thai King. This was used during the Sukhothai era. Later on during the
Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...
, Rattanakosin/Siam, and
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
era, this was used to refer to a duke instead of a king. ** Great King, a royal title suggesting an elevated status among the host of kings. ** High King, a king who holds a position of
seniority Seniority is the state of being older or placed in a higher position of status relative to another individual, group, or organization. For example, one employee may be senior to another either by role or rank (such as a CEO vice a manager), or by ...
over a group of other kings, without the title of emperor. **
Maharaja Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...
, Sanskrit, later Hindustani, for "Great King". It is the title of high kings in the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
. The feminine equivalent is Maharani. ***
Maharao {{Short description, Variation on Indian royal title Maharaja Maharao is a variation on the Indian (mainly Hindu) royal title Maharaja, also meaning ' great king' in Hindi. It is composed of ''Maha-'' 'great' and the royal title ''Rao'', a variation ...
, a regional variation of Maharaja. ***Maharawal, a regional variation of Maharaja. ***
Maharana The Maharana ("Great Rana") is a variation on the Indian royal title Rana. Maharana denotes ' great king' or ' high king', similar to the word " Maharaja". The term derives from the Sanskrit title "Mahārāṇaka". Usage at the time of independ ...
, a regional variation of Maharaja. **
Mepe ''Mepe'' (Old Georgian: ႫႴ; ka, მეფე ; ) is a royal title used to designate the Georgian monarch, whether it is referring to a king or a queen regnant. The title was originally a male ruling title. Etymology The word is derived from ...
, მეფე, Georgian word for king and queen regnant. ** Eze, the
Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a t ...
word for the King or Ruler of a kingdom or
city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world throughout history, including cities such as Rome, ...
. 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. ***
Alaafin Alaafin, or ''The custodian of the Palace'' in the Yoruba language, is the title of the king of the Oyo Empire and present-day Oyo town of West Africa. It is the particular title of the Oba (king) of the Oyo. It is sometimes translated as ...
, or "Man of the Palace" in the Yoruba language, was the title of the ruler of the medieval
Oyo Empire The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba people, Yoruba empire in West Africa. It was located in present-day western Nigeria (including the South West (Nigeria), South West zone, Benin Republic, and the western half of the North Central (Nigeria), North Cent ...
in northwestern
Yorubaland Yorubaland () is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and covers a total land area of . Of this land area, 106,016 km2 (74.6%) lies within Niger ...
. He is considered the supreme overlord of the empire and expected to keep tributaries safe from attack as well as mediate disputes between various kings (Obas) and their people within the Empire. **
Kabaka Kabaka is the title of the king of the Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda, they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual and the other secular. The s ...
, ruler of
Buganda Buganda is a Bantu peoples, Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda, Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the List of current non-sovereign African monarchs, traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Ug ...
, a realm within Uganda in East Africa. **
Omukama ''Omukama'' (, 'king, lord', ) is a title used in Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Repu ...
is a title associated with the
Bunyoro-Kitara Bunyoro, also called Bunyoro-Kitara, is a traditional Bantu kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Central and East Africa from the 16th century to the 19th century. It is ruled by the King ('' Omukama'') of ...
in
Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
. It is also the title of the Omukama of Toro. **
Shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...
,
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
word for king, from Indo-European for "he who rules". Used in Persia, alongside
Shahanshah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the List of monarchs of Iran, monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the ...
. The feminine form is
Shahbanu ''Shahbanu'' (, ) was a title for empress regnant or empress consort in Persian and other Iranian languages. The title was specifically used by Farah Pahlavi, the wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran ( Persia). During Sas ...
**
Boqor This is a list of Somali aristocratic and court titles that were historically used by the Somali people's various sultanates, kingdoms and empires. Also included are the honorifics reserved for Islamic notables as well as traditional leaders and o ...
, Somali for King. However, in practice, it is the
primus inter pares is a Latin phrase meaning first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for someone who is formally equal to other members of their group but is accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their seniority in office. H ...
or "King of Kings". The title is etymologically derived from one of the Afro-Asiatic Somali language terms for "belt", in recognition of the official's unifying role within the greater society. Furthermore, Boqor is linguistically related to the style ''Paqar'', which was employed by rulers in the early Nile Valley state of Meroe. **
Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
, from Arabic and originally referring to one who had "power", more recently used as synonym for a king. The feminine equivalent is a Sultana. ***
Suratrana Suratrana (IAST: Suratrāṇa, सुरत्राण) is a Sanskrit word that has been interpreted to mean either "protector of gods", or a transliteration of the Islamic word "Sultan" into Sanskrit. The term consists of two words "sura" (सु� ...
, Sanskrit for Sultan **
Khan Khan may refer to: * Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name * Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by various ethnicities Art and entertainment * Khan (band), an English progressiv ...
, from the
Turco-Mongol The Turco-Mongol or Turko-Mongol tradition was an ethnocultural synthesis that arose in Asia during the 14th century among the ruling elites of the Golden Horde and the Chagatai Khanate. The ruling Mongol elites of these khanates eventually ass ...
word for "ruler" or "king". The feminine equivalent is a
Khanum Khanum, Hanum, Hanım, Hanem, Khanom, or Khanoum (Uzbek language, Uzbek: Xonim/Хоним, , Mongolian language, Mongolian: Ханым, , , , , , , ) is a female royal family, royal and aristocracy, aristocratic title that was originally derived t ...
. A Khan's realm is called a Khanate. *** (마립간; 麻立干), literally "highest khan", a Korean title for the rulers of early
Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...
***
Bogda Khan Bogda Khan (, , "Boγda Qaγan"; ) was a title in the Mongolian language used by emperors of the Qing dynasty of China. It combines the title "Khan" or Khagan ("Qaγan") traditionally used among the Turco-Mongols with the term ''Bogda'' (''Boγd ...
, one of the titles for the Qing emperors **
Malik Malik (; ; ; variously Romanized ''Mallik'', ''Melik'', ''Malka'', ''Malek'', ''Maleek'', ''Malick'', ''Mallick'', ''Melekh'') is the Semitic term translating to "king", recorded in East Semitic and Arabic, and as mlk in Northwest Semitic d ...
, Arabic for "king". The feminine equivalent is a Malika. ** Mwami in
Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...
and neighbouring regions in the Congo. The female counterpart is Mwamikazi. **
Almamy Almami (; Also: Almamy, Almaami) was the regnal name of Tukulor monarchs from the eighteenth century through the first half of the twentieth century. It is derived from the Arabic Al-Imam, meaning "the leader", and it has since been claimed as th ...
, King of
Futa Toro Futa Toro (Wolof language, Wolof and , , ; ), often simply the Futa, is a semidesert region around the middle run of the Senegal River. This region, along the border of Senegal and Mauritania, is historically significant as the center of several F ...
, a pre-colonial kingdom of the
Toucouleur people __NOTOC__ The Toucouleur people or Tukulor people (, ), also called Haalpulaar (Ajami: ), are a West African ethnic group native to the Futa Toro region of Senegal. There are smaller communities in Mali and Mauritania. The Toucouleur were Islamiz ...
. From the old
Pulaar Pulaar (in Latin script, Latin: , in Ajami script, Ajami: ), often referred to as Pulaar du Nord, is dialect of the Fula language spoken primarily as a first language by the Fula people, Fula and Toucouleur peoples in the Senegal River valley ar ...
title ''"Almamy"'' (king). **
Maad a Sinig Maad a Sinig (variations : Mad a Sinig, 'Maad Sine, Maat Sine, Bour Sine, Bur Sine, etc.) means king of Sine. The ancient Kingdom of Sine, now part of Senegal, was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom . Their kings were titled ''Maad'' or ''Maad'' (als ...
, King of
Sine In mathematics, sine and cosine are trigonometric functions of an angle. The sine and cosine of an acute angle are defined in the context of a right triangle: for the specified angle, its sine is the ratio of the length of the side opposite th ...
, a pre-colonial kingdom of the
Serer people The Serer people (''Serer language, Serer proper'': Seereer or Sereer) are a West African ethnoreligious groupGastellu, Jean-Marc, ''Petit traité de matrilinarité. L'accumulation dans deux sociétés rurales d'Afrique de l'Ouest'', Cahiers ORST ...
. From the old Serer title ''"Maad"'' (king). **
Maad Saloum Maad Saloum (variations :Maad a Saloum, Mad Saloum, Maat Saloum, Bour Saloum, Bur Saloum, etc.) means king of Saloum, in the Serer language. The ancient Kingdom of Saloum now part of present-day Senegal was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom. Their ...
, ruler of
Saloum The Kingdom of Saloum ( Serer: ''Saluum'' or ''Saalum'') was a Serer kingdom in present-day Senegal and parts of Gambia. The precolonial capital was the city of Kahone. Re-established in 2017, Saloum is now a non-sovereign traditional monarch ...
, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Serer people. **
Negus ''Negus'' is the word for "king" in the Ethiopian Semitic languages and a Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles, title which was usually bestowed upon a regional ruler by the Ethiopian Emperor, Negusa Nagast, or "king of kings," in pre-1974 Et ...
, Ethiopian for king. **
Susuhunan Susuhunan, or in short version Sunan, is a title used by the monarchs of Mataram and then by the hereditary rulers of Surakarta, Indonesia. Additionally in Bali and Surakarta, so-called " Kings of kings" reigned with this title, while their k ...
, "he to whom homage is paid", title of the Javanese monarch of the
Surakarta Sunanate Surakarta Sunanate (; ) is a Javanese monarchy centred in the city of Surakarta, in the province of Central Java, Indonesia. The Surakarta Kraton (Indonesia), Kraton was established in 1745 by Pakubuwono II. Surakarta Sunanate and Yogyakarta S ...
. **
Teigne Teigne (Serer language, Serer:Teeñ, alternate spellings include Teñ, Teen, Teign, Tègne, Tin, or Tinou) was the title of the monarchs of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Baol, now part of present-day Senegal. Etymology and Origin The title "Teigne ...
, ruler of
Baol Baol or Bawol was a kingdom in what is now central Senegal. Founded in the 11th century, it was a vassal of the Jolof Empire before becoming independent in the mid-16th century. The ruler bore the title of Teigne (title), Teigne (or Teeň) and re ...
, previously a pre-colonial Serer kingdom. ** Tlahtloāni, the
Classical Nahuatl Classical Nahuatl, also known simply as Aztec or Codical Nahuatl (if it refers to the variants employed in the Mesoamerican Codices through the medium of Aztec Hieroglyphs) and Colonial Nahuatl (if written in Post-conquest documents in the Lat ...
term for the ruler of an , a
pre-Hispanic In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European c ...
city-state in
Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...
, variously translated in English as "king," "ruler," (or "speaker" in the political sense). A ' is a female ruler, or
queen regnant A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning ...
. **
Lugal ( Sumerian: ) is the Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man." In Sumerian, ''lú'' " 𒇽" is "man" and ''gal'' " 𒃲" is "great", or "big." It was one of several Sumerian titles that a ruler of a city-state could ...
, is the Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man." **
Anax (Greek alphabet, Greek: ; from earlier , ') is an ancient Greek word for "tribal chief, lord (military) leader".. It is one of the two Greek titles traditionally translated as "king", the other being basileus, and is inherited from Mycenaean G ...
, from Mycenaean ''wanax'' for "high king". Outranked ''Basileus'' in Mycenaean usage. **
Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...
, ''"Man of the Great House (Palace)"'' used in
Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
to denote the kings of
Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ', shortened to , , locally: ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the Nile River valley south of the delta and the 30th parallel North. It thus consists of the entire Nile River valley from Cairo south to Lake N ...
and
Lower Egypt Lower Egypt ( ') is the northernmost region of Egypt, which consists of the fertile Nile Delta between Upper Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, from El Aiyat, south of modern-day Cairo, and Dahshur. Historically, the Nile River split into sev ...
in the
Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...

river valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a ...
. **
Faama Faama is a Mandinka word meaning "father," "leader," or "king". It was commonly used within the area of pre-imperial Mali. The title spread into areas conquered by Mali and was later used by the Bamana Empire and the Wassoulou Empire of Samori ...
, title of the rulers of the
pre-imperial Mali The history of the Mali Empire begins when the first Mande people entered the Manding region during the period of the Ghana Empire. After its fall, the various tribes established independent chiefdoms. In the 12th century, these were briefly c ...
, meaning "king". **
Mansa ''MANSA'' is a scale used to assess quality of life. Its name is short for ''Manchester, Short Assessment of Quality of Life''. It was developed by Priebe et al. References Notes References Further reading * * External links * {{Latin ...
, title of the rulers of the
Mali Empire The Mali Empire (Manding languages, Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or ''Manden ...
**
Omanhene In several Akan nations of Ghana, the Omanhene (''Pl. Amanhene)'' is the title of a magnate or a supreme traditional ruler ('king') in a region or a larger town. The omanhene is the central figure and institution of the nation. Officially, he has ...
or Ohene, an Akan title meaning ''King of the Nation'', with Ohene simply meaning ''King''. Ohemaa, the maternal counterpart (his mother, sister, aunt (''referred to as a 2nd mother''), cousin (''referred to as sister'')), has equal power and selects which son she wants to lead the people. The Akan king rules on behalf of his mother who is the true power of the land. If the Ohemaa doesn't select any male relative to lead on her behalf, then she can take the role as King or Omanhene. ** Mwenematapa, title of the rulers of the
Kingdom of Mutapa The Mutapa Empire – sometimes referred to as Mwenemutapa or Munhumutapa, (, ) – was an African empire in Zimbabwe, which expanded to what is now modern-day Mozambique, Botswana, Malawi, and Zambia. It was ruled by the Nembire or Mbire dyn ...
. It means "Prince of the Realm" in Shona. Also spelled Mwene Mutapa or in Portuguese transliteration Monomotapa. **
Yang di-Pertuan Agong The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...
, the official title of the
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
n 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. **
Lamane Lamane or laman (also laam or lam) means "master of the land" in the Serer language. The name was also sometimes the title of chiefs or kings of the Serer people of the Senegambia region which includes modern day Senegal and the Gambia. This title ...
, ''"master of the land"'' or ''"chief owner of the soil"'' in old
Serer language Serer, often broken into differing regional dialects such as Serer-Sine and Serer-Saloum, is a language of the Senegambian branch of the Niger–Congo family spoken by 1.2 million people in Senegal and 30,000 in the Gambia as of 2009. It is the ...
were the ancient hereditary kings and
landed gentry The landed gentry, or the gentry (sometimes collectively known as the squirearchy), is a largely historical Irish and British social class of landowners who could live entirely from rental income, or at least had a country estate. It is t ...
of the
Serer people The Serer people (''Serer language, Serer proper'': Seereer or Sereer) are a West African ethnoreligious groupGastellu, Jean-Marc, ''Petit traité de matrilinarité. L'accumulation dans deux sociétés rurales d'Afrique de l'Ouest'', Cahiers ORST ...
found in
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
, the
Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
and
Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...
. The Lamanes were guardians of
Serer religion The Serer religion or Serer spirituality (''Serer language, Serer:'' A ƭat Roog, meaning "the way of the Divine", "path of God", or "religious life"Kalis, Simone, ''Médecine traditionnelle, religion et divination chez les Seereer Siin du Sén� ...
and many of them have been canonized as Holy Saints (''Pangool''). ** Otumfuo, literally "the powerful one", an
Akan Akan may refer to: People and languages *Akan people, an ethnic group in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire *Akan languages, a language group within the wider Central Tano languages *Kwa languages, a language group which includes Akan *Central Tano language ...
title to mean a king. It is thought to originate with the Akan state of
Akwamu The Akwamu Empire was a powerful Akan state that rose to prominence in the 17th century in what is now southeastern Ghana. According to oral tradition, the Akwamu traced their origins to the Twifo-Heman area, but the earliest historical records p ...
. It is still used amongst the Akwamu and now the
Asante Asante may refer to: *Asante people, an ethnic group in Ghana *Asante Empire *Asante (name) *Asante dialect, a dialect of the Akan languages * Asante Kotoko S.C., a Ghanaian professional association football club *Asante (album), 1974 jazz album b ...
people. ** Qhapaq, written as Capac in Spanish texts, the Inca word for "king"

Princely, ducal, and other sovereign titles
*
Grand Vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...
was the title of the effective head of government ( prime-minister) of many sovereign states in the
Muslim world The terms Islamic world and Muslim world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is ...
. The office of Grand Vizier was first held by officials in the later
Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...
. It was then held in the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
, the
Sokoto Caliphate The Sokoto Caliphate (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fula jihads, Fulani jihads ...
, the
Safavid Empire The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...
and
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
. In the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Vizier held the imperial seal and could convene all other viziers (ministers) to attend to affairs of the state; the viziers in conference were called "Kubbealtı viziers" in reference to their meeting place, the Kubbealtı ('under the dome') in
Topkapı Palace The Topkapı Palace (; ), or the Seraglio, is a large museum and library in the east of the Fatih List of districts of Istanbul, district of Istanbul in Turkey. From the 1460s to the completion of Dolmabahçe Palace in 1856, it served as the ad ...
. His offices were located at the
Sublime Porte The Sublime Porte, also known as the Ottoman Porte or High Porte ( or ''Babıali''; ), was a synecdoche or metaphor used to refer collectively to the central government of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul. It is particularly referred to the buildi ...
. Today, the
Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan (, Roman Urdu, romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Cabinet of Pakistan, cabinet, desp ...
is referred to in Urdu as Wazir-e-azam, which translates literally to Grand Vizier *
Khedive Khedive ( ; ; ) was an honorific title of Classical Persian origin used for the sultans and grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, but most famously for the Khedive of Egypt, viceroy of Egypt from 1805 to 1914.Adam Mestyan"Khedive" ''Encyclopaedi ...
(/kəˈdiːv/, Ottoman Turkish: خدیو, romanized: hıdiv; Arabic: خديوي, romanized: khudaywī) was an honorific title of Persian origin used for the sultans and grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, but most famously for the
viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...
of Egypt from 1805 to 1914. * Sovereign
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
, from the Latin ''
Dux ''Dux'' (, : ''ducēs'') is Latin for "leader" (from the noun ''dux, ducis'', "leader, general") and later for duke and its variant forms (doge, duce, etc.). During the Roman Republic and for the first centuries of the Roman Empire, ''dux'' coul ...
'', meaning "leader," a military rank in the
Late Roman Empire In historiography, the Late or Later Roman Empire, traditionally covering the period from 284 CE to 641 CE, was a time of significant transformation in Roman governance, society, and religion. Diocletian's reforms, including the establishment of t ...
. Variant forms include
Doge Doge, DoGE or DOGE may refer to: Internet culture * Doge (meme), an Internet meme primarily associated with the Shiba Inu dog breed ** Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency named after the meme ** Kabosu (dog), the dog portrayed in the original Doge image ...
and
Duce ( , ) is an Italian title, derived from the Latin word , 'leader', and a cognate of ''duke''. National Fascist Party leader Benito Mussolini was identified by Fascists as ('The Leader') of the movement since the birth of the in 1919. In 192 ...
; it has also been modified into
Archduke Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...
(meaning "chief" Duke),
Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...
(literally "large", or "big" Duke; see above under royal titles), Vice Duke ("deputy" Duke), etc. The female equivalent is Duchess. **
Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...
is considered to be part of the reigning nobility ("Royalty", in German ''Hochadel''; their correct form of address is "Royal Highness"). The feminine form is Grand Duchess *** Veliki Vojvoda, derived from
Voievod Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...
. The title of the
Bosnian Grand Duke Grand Duke of Bosnia (, ) was a court title in the Bosnian medieval state, with its first holders being recorded around the middle of the 14th century. The title was bestowed by the monarch to its highest military commander, rarely two, usually ...
(, ) appeared at the beginning of the 14th century as different type of this title, unique for the
Bosnian medieval state The history of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Middle Ages refers to the time period between the Roman era and the 15th-century Ottoman conquest. The Early Middle Ages in the Western Balkans saw the region reconquered from barbarians (Ostrogot ...
. It was a court title, bestowed by the monarch to the highest military commander, usually reserved for the most influential and most capable among the highest Bosnian nobility. To interpret it as an office post rather than a court rank could be equally accurate, and although it was retained for life by a nobleman who gained it, it was not meant to be hereditary, at least not at first. However, in the last several decades of the Bosnian medieval state it became hereditary, which means it became more than just an office or a court rank. *** Didysis Kunigaikštis, derived from kunigaikštis which itself is a derivative of kunigas (King). It was the title used in the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
, also translated as "Grand Prince". ***
Archduke Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...
, ruler of an archduchy; used exclusively by the
Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
dynasty and its junior branch of
Habsburg-Lorraine The House of Habsburg-Lorraine () originated from the marriage in 1736 of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis III, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Maria Theresa of Habsburg monarchy, Austria, later successively List of Bohemian monarchs, Queen ...
which ruled the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
(until 1806), the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
(1804–1867), the
Second Mexican Empire The Second Mexican Empire (; ), officially known as the Mexican Empire (), was a constitutional monarchy established in Mexico by Mexican monarchists with the support of the Second French Empire. This period is often referred to as the Second ...
(1863-1867) and the
Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...
(1867–1918) for imperial family members of the dynasty, each retaining it as a subsidiary title when founding sovereign
cadet branch A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...
es by acquiring thrones under different titles (e.g.,
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
,
Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...
); 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 by forgery 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. The feminine form is Archduchess. **
Doge Doge, DoGE or DOGE may refer to: Internet culture * Doge (meme), an Internet meme primarily associated with the Shiba Inu dog breed ** Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency named after the meme ** Kabosu (dog), the dog portrayed in the original Doge image ...
, elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states **
Ealdorman Ealdorman ( , )"ealdorman"
''Collins English Dictionary''. was an office in the Government ...
,
Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
for "elder man", rendered ''Dux'' in Latin. *
Sovereign Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fema ...
, from the Latin ''princeps'', meaning "one who takes first
lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
. The feminine form is Sovereign Princess. Variant forms include the German ''
Fürst ' (, female form ', plural '; from Old High German ', "the first", a translation of the Latin ') is a German language, German word for a ruler as well as a princely title. ' were, starting in the Middle Ages, members of the highest nobility who ...
'' and Russian ''
Knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...
(князь)'' and the feminine form '' Knyaginya (княгиня)''. **
Grand Prince Grand prince or great prince (feminine: grand princess or great princess) (; ; ; ; ) is a hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. Grand duke is the usual and established, though not litera ...
or Great Prince (feminine: Grand Princess or Great Princess) (Latin: Magnus Princeps; Swedish: Storfurste; German: Großfürst; Greek: Μέγας Αρχών, romanized:
Megas archon The title of ''megas archōn'' (; "grand archon") was a Byzantine court title during the 13th–14th centuries. History and functions The title of ''megas archōn'' appears originally as a translation of foreign titles, with the meaning of " gr ...
, is a title of nobility ranked in honour below
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
, equal to
Archduke Archduke (feminine: Archduchess; German: ''Erzherzog'', feminine form: ''Erzherzogin'') was the title borne from 1358 by the Habsburg rulers of the Archduchy of Austria, and later by all senior members of that dynasty. It denotes a rank within ...
,
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
,
Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...
and Prince-Archbishop; above a
Sovereign Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fema ...
and
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
. *** Velikiy knyaz (великий князь), ruler of a grand principality; a title primarily used in the medieval Russian principalities and claimed by the most important ruling prince, e.g. the ruler of the Grand Principality of Vladimir; ** Elector Prince (''Kurfürst'' in German), a rank for those who voted for the
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
, usually sovereign of a state (e.g. the Margrave of Brandenburg, an elector, called the ''Elector of Brandenburg'') **
Datu ''Datu'' is a title which denotes the rulers (variously described in historical accounts as chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs) of numerous Indigenous peoples throughout the Philippine archipelago. The title is still used today, though no ...
in the
Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...
and
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
which, together with the term
Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...
( in the
Rajahnate of Cebu Cebu, also called Sugbu, informally referred to as the Rajahnate of Cebu, was an Indianized mandala (polity) monarchy on the island of Cebu in the Philippines prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. It is known in ancient Chi ...
and
Kingdom of Maynila Maynila, also known commonly as Manila, was a major Islamic Tagalog '' bayan'' ("country" or "city-state") situated along the modern-day district of Intramuros in the city of Manila, at the southern bank of the Pasig River.Abinales, Patric ...
) and
Lakan In History of the Philippines (900–1521), early Philippine history, the Filipino styles and honorifics, rank of ''lakan'' denoted a "paramount ruler" (or more specifically, "''paramount datu''") of one of the large coastal barangays (known as ...
(title widely used on the island of
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
), are the Filipino equivalents of "sovereign prince" and thus, glossed as "ruler". The female equivalent is a Dayang. (Cf. also
Principalía The ''principalía'' or Nobility, noble class was the ruling and usually educated upper class in the ''Municipality, pueblos'' of History of the Philippines (1521–1898), Spanish Philippines, comprising the ''gobernadorcillo'' (later called t ...
– the hispanized and Christianized
Datu ''Datu'' is a title which denotes the rulers (variously described in historical accounts as chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs) of numerous Indigenous peoples throughout the Philippine archipelago. The title is still used today, though no ...
class during the Spanish colonial period in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
.) *
Nizam Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...
, The word is derived from the Arabic language Nizām (نظام), meaning order, arrangement. Nizām-ul-mulk was a title first used in
Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
around 1600 to mean Governor of the realm or Deputy for the Whole Empire. * 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 The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
. The feminine form is Despotess. *Voievod şi domn, title held by the sovereign princes of
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
and
Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...
.
Voievod Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...
(from Slavic) means in this context supreme military commander while Domn (from lat. '' dominus)'' means master, lord, autocrat. The "civilian" title of ''domn'' holds a kind of primacy. The office/authority is called "domnie" (roughly "lordship") rather than voievodship (as is the case of similar named but lesser Slavic titles). The prince is called upon as "doamne" ("mylord")''.'' *Tuanku, literally "My Master" (Tuan Ku), the title of the rulers of the nine Royal states of
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
; all princes and princesses of the Royal Families also receive the appellation Tunku (literally "My Lord" (Tun Ku) or spelt Tengku) or
Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...
. *
Shogun , officially , was the title of the military aristocracy, rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor of Japan, Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, exc ...
, officially Sei-i Taishōgun (Commander-in Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians), the Japanese word for
generalissimo ''Generalissimo'' ( ), also generalissimus, is a military rank of the highest degree, superior to field marshal and other five-star ranks in the states where they are used. Usage The word (), an Italian term, is the absolute superlative ...
, who acted as the de facto military
dictators A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...
of Japan of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. *
Emir Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...
, 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 Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
". Is is usually translated as prince in English. **
Amir al-umara The office of (), variously rendered in English as emir of emirs, prince of princes, chief emir, and commander of commanders, was a senior military position in the 10th-century Abbasid Caliphate, whose holders in the decade after 936 came to super ...
, Emir of Emirs. *
Mir ''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...
: According to the book
Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments ''Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments'' () is a book written in Persian by Dr Ali Asghar Hekmat E Shirazi and published in 1956 and 1958 and 2013. New edition contains the Persian texts of more than 200 epigraphical inscriptions found on h ...
, ''Mir'' is most probably an Arabized form of ''Pir''. ''Pir'' in
Old Persian Old Persian is one of two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of the Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native speakers as (I ...
and
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
means the old, the wise man, the chief and the great leader. It was Arabized as Mir then, with ''Al''(A) (
Arabic definite article (, also Romanization of Arabic, romanized as ''el-'', ''il-'', and ''l-'' as pronounced in some varieties of Arabic), is the definite article in the Arabic language: a grammatical particle, particle (''ḥarf'') whose function is to render the ...
), it was pronounced as Amir. **In the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, ''Mir-i Miran'' was used as the Persian equivalent to the Turkish title ''
Beylerbey ''Beylerbey'' (, meaning the 'commander of commanders' or 'lord of lords’, sometimes rendered governor-general) was a high rank in the western Islamic world in the late Middle Ages and early modern period, from the Anatolian Seljuks and the I ...
'' ("Bey of Beys"), alongside the Arabic equivalent ''
Amir al-Umara The office of (), variously rendered in English as emir of emirs, prince of princes, chief emir, and commander of commanders, was a senior military position in the 10th-century Abbasid Caliphate, whose holders in the decade after 936 came to super ...
'' ("Emir of Emirs").Zetterstéen (1986), p. 446 *
Bey Bey, also spelled as Baig, Bayg, Beigh, Beig, Bek, Baeg, Begh, or Beg, is a Turkic title for a chieftain, and a royal, aristocratic title traditionally applied to people with special lineages to the leaders or rulers of variously sized areas in ...
, or Beg/Baig, Turkish for "Chieftain." The feminine form is
Begum Begum (also begüm, bagum, begom, begam, baigum or beygum) is an honorific title from Central Asia, Central and South Asia, often used by leading women in society, including Royal family, royals, aristocrats, first lady, first ladies and prime ...
. **
Beylerbey ''Beylerbey'' (, meaning the 'commander of commanders' or 'lord of lords’, sometimes rendered governor-general) was a high rank in the western Islamic world in the late Middle Ages and early modern period, from the Anatolian Seljuks and the I ...
, Bey of Beys. **
Atabeg Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic language, Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince. The first instance of the ti ...
, word is a compound of two Turkic words: ata, "ancestor", and beg or bey, "lord, leader, prince". **
Beg Khan Beg Khan, or Bekkhan among the Muslim areas of Russia, is a concatenation of '' Baig'', and '' Khan'' titles originally used in Central Asia and the Middle East to indicate nobility or high rank. It is used as part of the name or title by the follow ...
, concatenation of Baig and Khan. **
Khagan Bek ''Khagan Bek'' is the title used by the bek (generalissimo) of the Khazars. History Khazar kingship was divided between the Khagan and the Bek or Khagan Bek. Contemporary Arab historians related that the Khagan was purely a spiritual ruler or fig ...
, title used by
Khazars The Khazars ; 突厥可薩 ''Tūjué Kěsà'', () were a nomadic Turkic people who, in the late 6th century CE, established a major commercial empire covering the southeastern section of modern European Russia, southern Ukraine, Crimea, a ...
. **
Derebey A derebey () was a feudalism, feudal lord in Anatolia and the Black Sea, Pontic areas of Lazistan and Adjara in the 18th century, with considerable independence from the central government of the Ottoman Empire. Derebeys were required to provide m ...
,
feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...
lord in
Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
and the
Pontic Pontic, from the Greek ''pontos'' (, ), or "sea", may refer to: The Black Sea Places * The Pontic colonies, on its northern shores * Pontus (region), a region on its southern shores * The Pontic–Caspian steppe, steppelands stretching from nor ...
areas of
Lazistan Lazistan or Lazeti (; ka, ლაზეთი, Lazeti, or ჭანეთი ''Ç'aneti''; ) is a historical and cultural region of the Caucasus and Anatolia; the term was primarily used during Ottoman rule in the region. Traditionally inhabited b ...
and Acara in the 18th century. *
Dey Dey (, from ) was the title given to the rulers of the regencies of Algiers, Tripolitania,Bertarelli (1929), p. 203. and Tunis under the Ottoman Empire from 1671 onwards. Twenty-nine ''deys'' held office from the establishment of the deylicate ...
, title given to the rulers of the
Regency of Algiers The Regency of Algiers was an Early modern period, early modern semi-independent Administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman province and nominal Tributary states of the Ottoman Empire, vassal state on the Barbary Coast of North Afr ...
and
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...
under the Ottoman Empire from 1671 onwards. *
Sardar Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royal family, royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other Aristocracy (class), aristocrats. It ha ...
, 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 Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
and
Avestan Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family and was First language, originally spoken during the Avestan period, Old ...
). The feminine form is Sardarni. * Pati, Sanskrit for "lord, master" **
Chhatrapati Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit used to denote a king. The word "Chhatrapati" is a Sanskrit language compound word of '' chhatra'' ('' parasol'' or ''umbrella'') and '' pati'' (''master/lord/ruler''). This title was used by the Ho ...
, title of the rulers of the
Marathas The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...

Tribal titles
*
Chieftain A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies There is no definition for "tribe". The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of weste ...
, a Lineage or Clan chief. the feminine form is Chieftainess. *
Sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...
is often used as a title for Arab royal families. It commonly designates a tribal chief, royal family member or a Muslim
scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...
. The feminine form is Shaykhah''.'' *
Tadodaho Tadodaho was a Native Americans in the United States, Native American Hoyenah (sachem) of the Onondaga (tribe), Onondaga nation before the Deganawidah and Hiawatha formed the Iroquois League, or "Haudenosaunee". According to oral tradition, he had ...
, derived from the name of the first "keeper of the council fire" of the
Iroquois Confederacy The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
,
Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
, or Five Nations, refers to the individual with the highest authority in both their modern territory and their spiritual way of life. *
Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
() means leader. An Irish
clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...
chief. Since 1937, this has been the title for the elected prime minister of Ireland, in both Irish and English. *
Tánaiste The Tánaiste ( , ) is the second-ranking member of the government of Ireland and the holder of its second-most senior office. It is the equivalent of the deputy prime minister in other parliamentary systems. The Tánaiste is appointed by the P ...
() is the second in command of an Irish clan. Since 1937, this has been the title in both Irish and English for the deputy head of the Irish government, nominated by the serving Taoiseach to act in that role during the Taoiseach's temporary absence. * Tòiseach, the Scottish Gaelic for clan chief. *
Tywysog Tywysog (), in modern Welsh, means "Prince", but historically it referred to a broader category of rulers. The feminine form (Princess) is ''Tywysoges''. The work Brut y Tywysogion is the Annals of the Princes of Wales and is a historical nar ...
(), in modern
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...
, means "
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
" and is cognate with Taoiseach and Tòiseach. Derived from the proto-Celtic *'' towissākos'' "chieftain, leader". * Rí ruirech, "king of over-kings", or ''rí cóicid'', a provincial King in Ireland. * Corono, leader of a large tribe in Celtic
Gallaecia Gallaecia, also known as Hispania Gallaecia, was the name of a Roman province in the north-west of Hispania, approximately present-day Galicia, northern Portugal, Asturias and Leon and the later Kingdom of Gallaecia. The Roman cities inclu ...
. In later Latin inscriptions, they would sometimes be referred to as ''Princeps''. * Fon, the regional and tribal leaders in Cameroon. * Odikro, an Akan chieftain. ''Obahemaa'' female maternal counterpart. *
Cacique A cacique, sometimes spelled as cazique (; ; feminine form: ), was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, who were the Indigenous inhabitants of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles at the time of European cont ...
, derived from the
Taíno The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...
word kasike, for pre-Colombian monarchs. *
Lonko A lonko or lonco (from Mapudungun ''longko'', literally "head"), is a chief of several Mapuche communities. These were often Ulmen (Mapuche), ulmen, the wealthier men in the lof. In wartime, lonkos of the various local rehue or the larger aillarehu ...
, chief of several
Mapuche The Mapuche ( , ) also known as Araucanians are a group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging e ...
communities. *
Ratu ''Ratu'' () is an Austronesian title used by male Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, ''adi'' (pronounced ), is used by females of chiefly rank. In the Malay language, the title ''ratu'' is also the traditional honorific title to r ...
, A
Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
an chiefly title that is also found in Javanese culture. *
Aliʻi nui The aliʻi were the traditional nobility of the Hawaiian islands. They were part of a hereditary line of rulers, the ''noho aliʻi''. Cognates of the word ''aliʻi'' have a similar meaning in other Polynesian languages; in Māori it is pronounce ...
, was the supreme monarch of various
Hawaiian islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...
. They are the supreme high chiefs (chief of chiefs). This title would later be used by rulers of the entire Hawaiian chain of islands. *
Ajaw Ajaw or Ahau ('Lord') is a pre-Columbian Maya civilization, Maya political title attested from epigraphy, epigraphic inscriptions. It is also the name of the 20th day of the ''tzolkʼin'', the Maya divinatory calendar, on which a ruler's ''kʼatu ...
, 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 Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in the Copán Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It is one of the most important sites of the Maya civilization, which was not excavated until the ...
dynasty, K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo'. The female equivalent is a Ix-ajaw. ** Kaloomte', In Maya meaning "
high king A high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings, without the title of emperor. Similar titles include great king and king of kings. The high kings of history usually ruled over lands of cultural unity; thus ...
" or "emperor". *
Halach Uinik Halach uinik or halach uinic (Yucatec Maya:'real man') was the name given to the supreme ruler, overlord or chief, as they were called in the colonial period of a Maya ''kuchkabal''. Most ''kuchkabal'' were run by a halach uinik, who ruled on beh ...
, 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 A ( , , 'province,' 'state,' 'polity') was a system of social and political organisation common to Maya polities of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Maya Lowlands, during the Mesoamerican_chronology#Postclassic_Period, Mesoamerican Postclas ...
).

Religious titles
*
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
, also "
Supreme Pontiff The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...
of the Universal Church and
Vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...
of
Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
", is considered the
apostolic successor Apostolic succession is the method whereby the Christian ministry, ministry of the Christian Church is considered by some Christian denominations to be derived from the Twelve Apostles, apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been ...
of
Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
, one of the
Twelve Apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
(primary
disciples A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...
) of
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
. Once wielding substantial secular power as the ruler of the
Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...
and leader of
Christendom The terms Christendom or Christian world commonly refer to the global Christian community, Christian states, Christian-majority countries or countries in which Christianity is dominant or prevails.SeMerriam-Webster.com : dictionary, "Christen ...
, the Pope is also the
absolute ruler Autocracy is a form of government in which absolute power is held by the head of state and government, known as an autocrat. It includes some forms of monarchy and all forms of dictatorship, while it is contrasted with democracy and feudalism. ...
of the sovereign state
Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...
. Also the title of the leader of the
Coptic Church The Coptic Orthodox Church (), also known as the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, is an Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Christian church based in Egypt. The head of the church and the Apostolic see, See of Alexandria i ...
, considered to be the successor of the Apostle
Saint Mark the Evangelist Mark the Evangelist ( Koinē Greek: Μᾶρκος, romanized: ''Mârkos''), also known as John Mark ( Koinē Greek: Ἰωάννης Μᾶρκος, romanized: ''Iōánnēs Mârkos;'' Aramaic'': ܝܘܚܢܢ, romanized: Yōḥannān'') or Saint Mark ...
. The word ''pope'' is derived from Latin and Italian ''papa'', a familiar form of "
father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fat ...
". ** Pontifex maximus, formerly one of the titles of the Roman emperors *
Catholicos A catholicos (plural: catholicoi) is the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and, in some cases, it is the title of the head of an autonomous church. The word comes from ancient Greek ( ...
is the Chief Bishop, Patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church. The earliest ecclesiastical use of the title Catholicos was by the Bishop of Armenia, head of the Armenian Orthodox Apostolic Church, in the 4th century. *
Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and ...
is the highest ecclesial title used in the
Eastern Christian Eastern Christianity comprises Christianity, Christian traditions and Christian denomination, church families that originally developed during Classical antiquity, classical and late antiquity in the Eastern Mediterranean region or locations fu ...
tradition. Some patriarchs are also styled as popes. *
Caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
means 'successor' (to
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
), both a religious and a secular leader. The ruler of the
caliphate A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
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 Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...
of
Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...
. (See ''Amir al-Mu'minin'' above). This did not necessarily mean that the Caliph was himself the supreme authority on
Islamic law Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, intan ...
or theology; that still fell to the ''
Ulema In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...
''. 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 Doctrine (from , meaning 'teaching, instruction') is a codification (law), codification of beliefs or a body of teacher, teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a ...
. ** Amir al-Mu'minin, or "Commander (
Emir Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...
) 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. * Imam, Imam (/ɪˈmɑːm/; Arabic: إمام imām; plural: أئمة aʼimmah) is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve as community leaders, and provide religious guidance. Thus for Sunnis, anyone can study the basic Islamic sciences and become an Imam * 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. * Saltigue, the high priests and priestesses of the
Serer people The Serer people (''Serer language, Serer proper'': Seereer or Sereer) are a West African ethnoreligious groupGastellu, Jean-Marc, ''Petit traité de matrilinarité. L'accumulation dans deux sociétés rurales d'Afrique de l'Ouest'', Cahiers ORST ...
. They are the diviners in the
Serer religion The Serer religion or Serer spirituality (''Serer language, Serer:'' A ƭat Roog, meaning "the way of the Divine", "path of God", or "religious life"Kalis, Simone, ''Médecine traditionnelle, religion et divination chez les Seereer Siin du Sén� ...
. * Jathedar, a title of a Sikhism, Sikh general, commander, the leader of a Jatha or Panj Takht, Takht, literally means "holder of troops". The feminine form is Jathedarni.

Dual titles
* Emperor at home, king abroad * King-Emperor, is a sovereign ruler who is simultaneously a king of one territory and emperor of another. ** Imperial and Royal / Imperial–royal * King-Grand Duke * King in Prussia

Other sovereigns, royalty, peers, and major nobility
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 The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
(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 ''Imperial immediacy, immediate'' relationship with the Emperor. Those holding non-sovereign ranks held only a ''mediate'' relationship (meaning that the civil hierarchy upwards was mediated by one or more intermediaries between the rank holder and the Emperor).

Titles
*
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
(''Prinz'' in German), junior members of a royal, grand ducal, ruling ducal or princely, or mediatised family. The title of ''
Fürst ' (, female form ', plural '; from Old High German ', "the first", a translation of the Latin ') is a German language, German word for a ruler as well as a princely title. ' were, starting in the Middle Ages, members of the highest nobility who ...
'' 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, House of Urach, Urach) even though it was also a ruling title. Exceptional use of ''Prinz'' was permitted for some morganatic marriage, morganatic families (e.g., Battenberg family, Battenberg, Montenuovo) and a few others (Carolath-Beuthen, Biron von Kurland). Prince is also used as the highest, non-royal title of nobility in instances such as that of Prince Bernadotte where Swedish royal princes lost those titles due to unapproved marriages. The feminine form is Princess. ** In particular, Crown prince, Crown Prince (''Kronprinz'' in German) was reserved for the heir apparent of an emperor or king. The feminine form is Crown Princess. **
Grand Prince Grand prince or great prince (feminine: grand princess or great princess) (; ; ; ; ) is a hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. Grand duke is the usual and established, though not litera ...
(''Velikiy knyaz''), ruler of a grand principality; a title primarily used in the medieval Russian principalities and claimed by the most important ruling prince; It was also used by the Romanovs of the Russian Empire for members of the imperial family. The feminine form is Grand Princess. ** Great prince, Great Prince, a variation of Grand Prince, the feminine form is Great Princess. ** Ban (title), Ban, noble title used in several states in both
Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
and Southeastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century. ** Dauphin of France, Dauphin, title of the heir apparent of the royal family of Kingdom of France, France, as he was the ''de jure'' ruler of the ''Dauphiné'' province in today's southeastern France (under the authority of the King) ** Infante, title of the cadet members of the royal families of Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal and Spain. The feminine form is Infanta. **Mexican Prince was the title created on June 22, 1822 by the Mexican Constituent Congress during the First Mexican Empire, to be granted to legitimate children who were not the heir or firstborn of the Emperor Agustín de Iturbide. Later, his grandsons were given the titles Prince of Iturbide by Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. ** Królewicz, title used by the children of the monarchs of Crown of Poland, Poland and the later Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth **Ōji (王子), Japanese, literally "sovereign-child", used only for the son of a monarch. **Rajkumar, the Indian title for prince, the feminine form is Rajkumari. **Shahzada (title), Shahzada, Persian for prince, the feminine form is Shahzadi. ** Yuvaraja, is an Indian title for crown prince, literally "young king", the heir apparent to the throne of a kingdom. The feminine is Yuvarani. ** Buumi, first in line to the throne in Serer people, Serer pre-colonial kingdoms. The second in line is called a Thilas, whereas the third in line is known as a Loul. **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 "Mr, mister"). ** Pillai (title), Pillai, Ancient South Indian title meaning "child", Prince for junior children of Emperors ** Morza, a ''Tatars, Tatar'' title usually translated as "prince", it ranked below a Khan. The title was borrowed from Persian and Indian appellation Mirza (noble), Mirza added to the names of certain nobles, which itself derived from ''Emir.'' ** Daakyehene, pronounced: ''Daa-chi-hi-ni'', literally: ''future king''. The feminine form is ''Daakyehemaa''. An Akan prince. **
Knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...
, a title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a ruling or noble rank. It is usually translated into English as "Prince", but the word is related to the English ''King'' and the German ''König''. Also translated as ''Herzog (Duke).'' *Daimyo title of powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords of medieval and early modern Japan. *
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
(Herzog in German), ruler of a duchy; also for junior members of ducal and some grand ducal families The feminine form is Duchess. ** Babu (title), Babu, Indian title, equivalent of Duke, feminine is Babuain * Marquess, Margrave, or Marquis (literally "Count of a March" (=Border territory)) was the ruler of a Marches, marquessate, Marches, margraviate, or Marches, march. The female equivalent is Marchioness, Margravine, or Marquise. ** Grand Župan, a more influential ''Župan''. ** Landgrave (literally "Land Count"), a German title, ruler of a landgraviate (large / provincial territory). * Count, theoretically the ruler of a county; known as an Earl in modern Britain; known as a Graf in German, known as Conde in Spain and Mexico, known as a Serdar (Ottoman rank), Serdar in Montenegro and Serbia. The female equivalent is Countess, which in Britain also refers to an earl's wife. ** 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. * Viscount (vice-count), theoretically the ruler of a viscounty, which did not develop into a hereditary title until much later. The female equivalent is Viscountess. In the case of French viscounts and viscountesses, it is customary to leave the titles untranslated as vicomte and vicomtesse . ** Burgrave, or Burggraf ("count of a burg"). In the Low Countries, the ruler of a major city or deputy to a count, usually in charge of managing the court and administrative affairs. * Castellan, or Châtelain, "holder of a castle". **Kiladar was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in early modern India. Had the same functions as that of a European feudal Castellan * Sahib, title of Arabic origin meaning "companion." The feminine form is Sahiba. * Baron, theoretically the ruler of a feudal barony, barony – some barons in some countries may have been "free barons" (''liber baro'') and as such, regarded (themselves) as higher barons. The female equivalent is Baroness. ** 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). The female equivalent is Freifrau. ** Heerlijkheid, Heer, a Dutch word meaning "lord", when used before and during the Dutch Republic, refers to the feudal lords that ran the countryside on behalf of the counts. Untitled descendants, male and female, of this old nobility (Dutch::nl:Adel, oude adel) use the title "Jonkheer, Jonkheer/Jonkvrouw", and after the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands sometimes "Baron/Baroness", before the given and surname following the German practice for Freiherr. Also like the German practice, females inherit the title, but cannot pass it down. **Primor, a Hungarian nobility, Hungarian noble title, originally the highest rank of Székelys, Székely nobility, usually compared to baron (or less commonly, count). Originally, ''primores'' could ''de jure'' not be evicted from his fiefdom, even by the King of Hungary (although such instances did occur). ** Zamindar were considered to be equivalent to lords and barons; in some cases they were independent sovereign princes. The feminine form is Zamindarni. ** Jagir, Jagirdar, also spelled as Jageerdar (Devanagari: जागीर,
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
: جاگیر, ''ja-'' meaning "place", ''-gir'' meaning "keeping, holding"). Indian title for the ruler of a jagir (fief) The feminine form is Jagirdarni. ** Principalía, Principal, a person belonging to the aristocratic ruling class of Filipino nobles called ''
Principalía The ''principalía'' or Nobility, noble class was the ruling and usually educated upper class in the ''Municipality, pueblos'' of History of the Philippines (1521–1898), Spanish Philippines, comprising the ''gobernadorcillo'' (later called t ...
'', roughly equivalent to ancient Roman Patrician (ancient Rome), Patricians, through whom the Spanish Monarchs ruled the Philippines during the colonial period ( to 1898). The feminine form is Principala. **Regents: A regent (from Latin regens: ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state pro tempore (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, or the throne is vacant and the new monarch has not yet been determined. The rule of a regent or regents is called a regency. A regent or regency council may be formed ad hoc or in accordance with a constitutional rule. Regent is sometimes a formal title granted to a monarch's most trusted advisor or personal assistant. If the regent is holding their position due to their position in the line of succession, the compound term prince regent is often used; if the regent of a minor is their mother, she would be referred to as queen regent.

Minor nobility, landed gentry, and other aristocracy
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 landed gentry that are listed below.

Titles
* Baronet is a hereditary title ranking below baron but above knight; this title is granted only in the United Kingdom and is variously considered to be "the head of the ''nobiles minores''" or "the lowest of the ''nobiles majores''" of that country. The feminine form is Baronetess. * Dominus (title), 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 * Captal, archaic Gascon title equivalent to seigneur * 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 in most areas. However, before the 18th century in the Low Countries of the Holy Roman Empire, the knights (Ridder (title), ridderen) were major nobility, ranking above the ''heren'' (equivalent to feudal barons and lords of the manor, depending on the size of the estate) and directly below the head of state. * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), Patrician is a dignity of minor nobility or landed gentry (most often being hereditary) usually ranking below Knight but above Esquire * Fidalgo or Hidalgo (Spanish nobility), Hidalgo is a minor Portuguese and Spanish aristocrat (respectively; from ''filho d'algo'' / ''hijo de algo'', lit. "son of something") * Nobile (aristocracy), 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 the Dutch nobility who do not currently hold a title. An untitled noblewoman is styled ''Jonkvrouw'', though the wife of a ''Jonkheer'' is a ''Mevrouw'' or, 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". * Reis (military rank), Reis is an obscure aristocratic title from the coastlines of Lebanon and Syria that is roughly equivalent to a baron. The word itself can be translated as "Commodore", and is found only among a few of the former "Merchant Aristocrat" houses of the former Mount Lebanon Emirate. The only legitimate holders of this title are those that trace their lineage back to vassals of Fakhr al-Din II that arrived from Italy via the alliance with the Medici. * Skartabellat, Skartabel is a minor Polish aristocrat. * Scottish feudal barony, Scottish Baron is a hereditary noble dignity, outside the peerage of Scotland, Scots peerage, recognised by Lord Lyon as a member of the Scots ''noblesse'' and ranking below a Lord of Parliament but above a Scottish Laird 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 manorialism, manorial lord; it ranks below Knight (or in Scotland below Laird) but above Gentleman. * Gentleman is the basic rank of
landed gentry The landed gentry, or the gentry (sometimes collectively known as the squirearchy), is a largely historical Irish and British social class of landowners who could live entirely from rental income, or at least had a country estate. It is t ...
(ranking below Esquire), historically primarily associated with land; within British Commonwealth nations it is also roughly equivalent to some minor nobility of some of the continental European nations The feminine form is Gentlewoman * Bibi (title), Bibi, means Miss in Urdu and is frequently used as a respectful title for women in South Asia when added to the given name. * Lord, a title of the Peerage of the United Kingdom, peerage in the United Kingdom, or used for people entitled to Courtesy title, courtesy titles. The collective "Lords" can refer to a group or body of Peerages in the United Kingdom, peers, the feminine is Lady. * Lalla (title), 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. * Samurai, the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of History of Japan#Medieval Japan (1185–1573/1600), medieval and Edo period, early-modern Japan. * Jizamurai, (''samurai of the land'') lower-ranking provincial samurai and petty nobility. The term was rather broad and could also refer to non-noble independent peasant landowners. * Sidi, is a masculine title of respect, meaning "my master" in Maltese language, Maltese, Darija and Egyptian Arabic. * Dvoryanin, the word (); a member of Russian nobility.

Further information by country

English titles
During the Middle Ages, in England, as in most of Europe, the feudal system was the dominant social and economic system. Under the feudal system, the monarch would grant land to the monarch’s loyal subjects in exchange for the subject’s loyalty and military service when called by the monarch. Besides grants of land, these subjects were usually given titles that implied nobility and rank, such as duke, earl, baron, etc., which were passed down through the holder’s male line. Barons were the lowest rank of nobility and were granted small parcels of land. Earls were the next highest rank with larger land holdings. Dukes were the highest rank and held the largest holdings, known as duchies. The monarch was the ultimate authority and was able to grant and revoke titles. In the 14th century, an English peerage began to emerge as a separate entity from the feudal system. The peers held titles granted by the monarch, but did not necessarily hold any land or have any feudal obligations. The peerage was divided into five ranks; from highest to lowest: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. The peerage system became more formalized over time. By the 18th century, peerages were no longer granted as a reward for military service, but instead were granted as a way to recognize social status and political influence. Today, there are two types of peerages in England: hereditary and life peerages. Hereditary peerages are those that are passed down through the male line of the family. Life peerages, on the other hand, are granted to an individual for their lifetime only and do not pass down to their heirs. Before 1958, life peerages were relatively rare, and were held to entitle the bearer to sit in the House of Lords. Since the ''Life Peerages Act 1958'', nearly all new peerages are life baronies. In addition to peerages, there are also a number of other titles in England, such as "knight" and "dame." These titles are granted by the monarch and are not hereditary.

In German-speaking states
The actual rank of a title-holder in German-speaking states depended not only on the nominal rank of the title, but also the degree of
sovereignty Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...
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 abolished monarchy, deposed or German Mediatisation, mediatized sovereign (e.g., the ''
Fürst ' (, female form ', plural '; from Old High German ', "the first", a translation of the Latin ') is a German language, German word for a ruler as well as a princely title. ' were, starting in the Middle Ages, members of the highest nobility who ...
'' of Waldeck (state), 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 The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
rank higher than the holder of an equivalent title granted by one of the German monarchs after 1806. 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 Kleefeld.Kurt Koszyk: Gustav Stresemann. Cologne, 1989. P.183 In Austria, nobility titles may no longer be used since 1918.

See also
* Clergy * Courtesy title * Ecclesiastical Addresses * False titles of nobility * Forms of address in the United Kingdom * Nobiliary particle * Petty kingdom * Prince of the church * Royal and noble styles * Subsidiary title * Substantive title

Notes

References

External links

Hereditary titles
(archived 13 December 2004)

Fake titles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal And Noble Ranks Noble titles, * Titles of national or ethnic leadership