A list of noble families in Modern Belgium with additions of former houses.

General

Currently, the Belgian crown recognizes the titles of

jonkheer (female equivalent: ; french: Écuyer; en, Squire) is an honorific in the Low Countries denoting the lowest rank within the nobility. In the Netherlands, this in general concerns a prefix used by the untitled nobility. In Belgium, this is the ...

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or kn ...

viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicia ...

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...

marquis A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman ...

duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...

and

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 persons who legally are member of the nobility have the legal right to protect their family name and

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

. The houses bearing the titles of

and

are described more thoroughly on the

Belgian nobility The Belgian nobility comprises Belgian individuals or families recognized as noble with or without a title of nobility in the Kingdom of Belgium. The Belgian constitution states that no specific privileges are attached to the nobility. History ...

page.

Princes

d'Arenberg d'Arenberg is an Australian wine company founded in 1912. All of its vineyards are located in South Australia's McLaren Vale wine region, although some of the wines they make are produced from grapes sourced from the Adelaide Hills wine reg ...

* de Chimay et de Caraman * de Croÿ, de Croÿ-Rœulx, de Croÿ-Solre * de Ligne, de Ligne de la Trémoïlle * de Lobkowicz *

de Merode The House of Merode is one of the most prominent families of the Belgian nobility. The House of Merode originates from the village of Merode (today in the municipality of Langerwehe, Germany). Over the last five centuries different branches ...

* Swiatopolk-Czetwertynski (Polish princely family whose title was recognized in Belgium in 2007) * Wellesley

Dukes

* The

Duke of Arenberg The House of Arenberg is an aristocratic lineage that is constituted by three successive families that took their name from Arenberg, a small territory of the Holy Roman Empire in the Eifel region. The inheritance of the House of Croÿ-Aarschot m ...

* The Duke of Beaufort-Spontin * The Duke of Looz-Corswarem * The

Duke of Ursel The House of Ursel is the name of an important old Belgian noble family of German origin. The Head of the House is styled the Duke of Ursel, while other members are styled as Count/Countess d'Ursel. History The Ursel family roots are ...

Marquesses

* The Marquess of Beauffort - (only the head of the house, the others are count/countess) * Imperiali des Princes de Francavilla *

de Mérode The House of Merode is one of the most prominent families of the Belgian nobility. The House of Merode originates from the village of Merode (today in the municipality of Langerwehe, Germany). Over the last five centuries different branches b ...

(Marquess of Westerlo, created in 1626 by King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

- only the head of the house, in addition to the title of Prince) * the Marquess of Assche; head of the van der Noot-family * the Marquess du Parc Locmaria - (only the head of the house, the others are count/countess) * de Radiguès Saint-Guédal de Chennevière * Ruffo de Bonneval de La Fare des Comtes de Sinopoli de * the Marquess of Trazegnies d'Ittre * the Marquess of Yve.- (only the head of the house, the others are count/countess)

General

Princes

Dukes

Marquesses

Counts

Viscounts

Barons

Knight

Ecuyer (jonkheer/jonkvrouw)

References