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A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the first and last name (for example, ''
Graf (feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as " count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is " ...
'' in
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
,
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **'' Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **'' Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, t ...
in
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
usage (
Richard Cardinal Cushing Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builder ...
) or clerical titles such as
Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...
). Some titles are
hereditary Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic informa ...
.


Types

Titles include: * Honorific titles or
styles of address A style of office or form of address, also called manner of address, is an official or legally recognized form of address for a person or other entity (such as a government or company), and may often be used in conjunction with a personal title. ...
, a phrase used to convey respect to the recipient of a communication, or to recognize an attribute such as: **
Imperial, royal and noble ranks Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duk ...
**
Academic degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including und ...
**
Social title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
s, prevalent among certain sections of society due to historic or other reasons. ** Other accomplishment, as with a
title of honor A title of honor or honorary title is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits. Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed d ...
*
Title of authority Title of authority, title of office or title of command is the official designation of a position held in an organization (e.g. in government or corporation) associated with certain duties of authority. Semi-formally, the title of office may be r ...
, an identifier that specifies the office or position held by an
official An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their su ...


Titles in English-speaking areas


Common titles

*
Mr. ''Mister'', usually written in its contracted form ''Mr.'' or ''Mr'', is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title 'Mr' derived from earlier ...
– Adult man (regardless of marital status) *
Ms. Ms. (American English) or Ms (British English; normally , but also , or when unstressed)''Oxford English Dictionary'' online, Ms, ''n.2''. Etymology: "An orthographic and phonetic blend of Mrs ''n.1'' and miss ''n.2'' Compare mizz ''n.'' The pr ...
– Adult woman (regardless of marital status) *
Mx. Mx (usually pronounced , or and sometimes ) is an English language neologistic honorific that does not indicate gender. Developed as an alternative to gendered honorifics (such as Mr. and Ms.) in the late 1970s, it is the most common g ...
– Adult person (regardless of marital status), can be used to refer to non-binary people *
Mrs. Mrs. (American English) or Mrs (British English; standard English pronunciation: ) is a commonly used English honorific for women, usually for those who are married and who do not instead use another title (or rank), such as ''Doctor'', ''Profe ...
– Married Adult woman (includes widows and divorcées) *
Miss Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as " Doctor" or "Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, i ...
– Unmarried Adult Woman or Female child *
Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
– Male Child *
Madam Madam (), or madame ( or ), is a polite and formal form of address for women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced in American English and this way but also in British English). The term derives from the French ''madam ...
(also Madame and Ma'am) – Formal form of address for an adult woman. Also used to denote a position of power or respect, opposite the usage of "Mister" for men, e.g. "Mister/Madam Ambassador".


Controversy around usage of common titles

Some people object to the usage of titles to denote marital status, age or gender. In 2018, a campaign named GoTitleFree was launched to encourage businesses to stop requesting, storing and using marital status titles in their registration forms, and when speaking with customers, launched on the grounds that titles often lead to assumptions about a woman's age or availability for marriage, and exclude non-binary people. This is in line with established practice advocated by the World Wide Web Consortium and the Government Digital Service which sets the standard for UK government online services. This in turn means that titles are optional on UK passports and driving licences.


Familial

Aunt An aunt is a woman who is a sibling of a parent or married to a sibling of a parent. Aunts who are related by birth are second-degree relatives. Known alternate terms include auntie or aunty. Children in other cultures and families may re ...
, Auntie, or
Uncle An uncle is usually defined as a male relative who is a sibling of a parent or married to a sibling of a parent. Uncles who are related by birth are second-degree relatives. The female counterpart of an uncle is an aunt, and the reciprocal rela ...
may be used as titles by nieces and nephews, or by children to adults whom they know.


Legislative and executive titles

* Hon. (
Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certai ...
) (for younger sons and daughters of
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 ...
s) and. Rt. Hon. (
Right Honourable ''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: ''Rt Hon.'' or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations. The term is ...
) (for
Privy Councillor A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mo ...
s), used in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
Some job titles of members of the legislature and executive are used as titles. *MP, for members of the Parliament *MYP, for members of the
UK Youth Parliament The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is a Youth organization, youth organisation in the United Kingdom, consisting of Democracy, democratically elected members aged between 11 and 18. Formed in 2000, the parliament has 369 members, who are elected t ...
* Representative *
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
*
Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...
*
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
(from which comes such titles as
Deputy President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
,
Executive Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
,
Lord President of the Council The lord president of the Council is the presiding officer of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the fourth of the Great Officers of State, ranking below the Lord High Treasurer but above the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. The Lord ...
, and
Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...
) *
Councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
* Youth Councillor (YC) *
Alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members ...
/ Selectman * Delegate *
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
and related terms such as
Lady Mayoress Lady mayoress is an official female companion to the lord mayor of a major city in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland, or a capital city of an Australian state. Traditionally this was the wife of a male mayor. It is not an elected office. ...
and Lord Mayor *
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
and
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
*
Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
*
Prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...
*
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
* Burgess *
Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or s ...
*
Envoy Envoy or Envoys may refer to: Diplomacy * Diplomacy, in general * Envoy (title) * Special envoy, a type of diplomatic rank Brands *Airspeed Envoy, a 1930s British light transport aircraft *Envoy (automobile), an automobile brand used to sell Br ...
*
Secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...
,
Cardinal Secretary of State The Secretary of State of His Holiness (Latin: Secretarius Status Sanctitatis Suae, it, Segretario di Stato di Sua Santità), commonly known as the Cardinal Secretary of State, presides over the Holy See's Secretariat of State, which is the ...
,
Foreign Secretary The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwe ...
,
General Secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
, Secretary of State, and other titles in the form "Secretary of..." in which Secretary means the same thing as Minister *
Attaché In diplomacy, an attaché is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified accord ...
*
Chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassado ...
* Provost * Minister (from which comes such titles as Prime Minister and Health Minister)


Aristocratic 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. ...
/
Princess Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subs ...
– From the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
''
princeps ''Princeps'' (plural: ''principes'') is a Latin word meaning "first in time or order; the first, foremost, chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble; the first man, first person". As a title, ''princeps'' originated in the Roman Republic w ...
'', meaning "first person" or "first citizen". The title was originally used by
Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
at the establishment of the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
to avoid the political risk of assuming the title ''Rex'' ("King") in what was technically still a republic. In modern times, the title is often given to the sons and daughters of ruling monarchs. Also a title of certain ruling monarchs under the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...
and its subsidiary territories until 1918 which is still used in
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German language, German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constit ...
, (
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
still uses the title Prince to this day, even though it was not a part of the Holy Roman Empire) and in
Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. The ...
before 1917. The German title is
Fürst ' (, female form ', plural '; from Old High German ', "the first", a translation of the Latin ') is a German word for a ruler and is also a princely title. ' were, since the Middle Ages, members of the highest nobility who ruled over states of ...
("first"), a translation of the Latin term; the equivalent Russian term is ''князь (knyaz)''. *
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 ...
/
Archduchess 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 ...
– A title derived from the
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece 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 ...
''
Archon ''Archon'' ( gr, ἄρχων, árchōn, plural: ἄρχοντες, ''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 αρχ-, mean ...
'' ("ruler; higher") and the Latin '' Dux''("leader"). It was used most notably by the
Habsburg Dynasty The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
that ruled
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
until 1918. *
Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approx ...
/
Grand Duchess Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approxi ...
– "Big; large" + Latin ''Dux'' (leader). A variant of "Archduke", used particularly in English translations
Romanov Dynasty The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastasia Romanova, was married to ...
Russian titles. Also used in various Germanic territories until
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. Still survives in
Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
. *
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 ...
/
Duchess 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 ranke ...
– From the Latin '' Dux'', a military title used in the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
, especially in its early
Byzantine period The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
when it designated the military commander for a specific zone. *
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 ...
or
Marquess 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 ...
/ Marquise or
Marchioness 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 w ...
– From the French ''marchis'', literally "ruler of a border area", (from Old French ''marche'' meaning "border"); exact English translation is "March Lord", or "Lord of the March". *
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 ...
/ Countess - From the Latin ''
comes ''Comes'' ( ), plural ''comites'' ( ), was a Roman title or office, and the origin Latin form of the medieval and modern title "count". Before becoming a word for various types of title or office, the word originally meant "companion", either i ...
'' meaning "companion". The word was used by the Roman Empire in its Byzantine period as an honorific with a meaning roughly equivalent to modern English "peer". It became the title of those who commanded field armies in the Empire, as opposed to "Dux" which commanded locally based forces. *
Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particu ...
(used in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
instead of
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 ...
, but the feminine equivalent is Countess) – From the Germanic ''jarl'', meaning "chieftain," the title was brought to the British Isles by the Anglo-Saxons and survives in use only there, having been superseded in Scandinavia and on the European continent. *
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 ...
/
Viscountess 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 ...
- From the Latin ''
vicarius ''Vicarius'' is a Latin word, meaning ''substitute'' or ''deputy''. It is the root of the English word "vicar". History Originally, in ancient Rome, this office was equivalent to the later English " vice-" (as in "deputy"), used as part of th ...
'' ("Deputy; substitute". Hence "vicar" and prefix "vice-") appended to Latin ''
comes ''Comes'' ( ), plural ''comites'' ( ), was a Roman title or office, and the origin Latin form of the medieval and modern title "count". Before becoming a word for various types of title or office, the word originally meant "companion", either i ...
''. Literally: "Deputy Count". *
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 ...
/
Baroness 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 ...
- From the
Late Latin Late Latin ( la, Latinitas serior) is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the , and continuing into the 7th century in t ...
''Baro'', meaning "man, servant, soldier". The title originally designated the chief feudal tenant of a place, who was in vassalage to a greater lord. In the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, "Lord" and "Lady" are used as titles for members of the nobility. Unlike titles such as "Mr" and "Mrs", they are not used before first names except in certain circumstances, for example as courtesy titles for younger sons, etc., of peers. In
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
" Lord of Parliament" and "Lady of Parliament" are the equivalents of Baron and Baroness in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. *
Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage ...
– From Old English '' hlāford, hlāfweard'', meaning, literally, "bread-keeper", from hlāf ("bread") + weard ("guardian, keeper") and by extension "husband, father, or chief". (From which comes modified titles such as
First Sea Lord The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS) is the military head of the Royal Navy and Naval Service of the United Kingdom. The First Sea Lord is usually the highest ranking and most senior admiral to serve in the British Armed Fo ...
and
Lord of the Manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...
.) The feminine equivalent is
Lady The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inf ...
from the related Old English '' hlǣfdīġe'' meaning, literally, "bread-kneader", from hlāf ("bread") + dīġe ("maid"), and by extension wife, daughter, or mistress of the house. (From which comes
First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non- monarchical head of state or chief executive. The term is also used to describe a woman seen to be at the ...
, the anachronistic Second Lady, etc.) *
Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...
/
Empress An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
– From the Latin ''
Imperator The Latin word ''imperator'' derives from the stem of the verb la, imperare, label=none, meaning 'to order, to command'. It was originally employed as a title roughly equivalent to ''commander'' under the Roman Republic. Later it became a part o ...
'', meaning he/she who holds the authority to command (''imperium''). *
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
/
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
– Derived from
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...
/Germanic words. The original meaning of the root of "king" apparently meant "leader of the family" or "descendant of the leader of the family," and the original meaning of "queen," "wife". By the time the words came into English they already meant "ruler". *
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
/ Tsarina (Tsaritsa) – Slavonic loan-word from Latin. *
Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 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, an ...
– The name of
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 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, an ...
taken by his heir
Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
and thereafter by Augustus' successors as Roman Emperor through the
fall of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...
in 1453. Loaned into German as
Kaiser ''Kaiser'' is the German word for "emperor" (female Kaiserin). In general, the German title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (''König''). In English, the (untranslated) word ''Kaiser'' is mainly ap ...
. *
Leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets v ...
– From Old English ''lædan'', meaning "to guide". The head of state of
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
is titled Great Leader. The ''
de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...
'' head of state of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
is titled Supreme Leader. *
Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the bo ...
– A variation of the English "Prince", used as the short form of the word "Chieftain" (except for in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, where "Chieftain" is a title held by a titleholder subordinate to a chief). Generally used to refer to a recognised leader within a
chieftaincy A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribe The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia. Tribal societies are sometimes categorized as ...
system. From this come the variations
paramount chief A paramount chief is the English-language designation for the highest-level political leader in a regional or local polity or country administered politically with a chief-based system. This term is used occasionally in anthropological and arc ...
,
clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard c ...
and village chief. The feminine equivalent is Chieftess. * Popess
The title of a character found in
Tarot cards The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots ...
based upon the
Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
on the Roman Catholic Church. As the Bishop of Rome is an office always forbidden to women there is no formal feminine of Pope, which comes from the Latin word ''papa'' (an affectionate form of the Latin for ''father'').
The mythical
Pope Joan Pope Joan (''Ioannes Anglicus'', 855–857) was, according to legend, a woman who reigned as pope for two years during the Middle Ages. Her story first appeared in chronicles in the 13th century and subsequently spread throughout Europe. The s ...
, who was reportedly a woman, is always referred to with the masculine title ''Pope'', even when her female identity is known. Further, even if a woman were to become Bishop of Rome it is unclear if she would take the title ''Popess''. A parallel might be drawn with the Anglican Communion, whose female clergy use the masculine titles of ''priest'' and ''bishop'' as opposed to ''priestess'' or ''bishopess''.
Nonetheless some European languages, along with English, have formed a feminine form of the word ''pope'', such as the Italian ''papessa'', the French ''papesse'', the Portuguese ''papisa'', and the German ''Päpstin''.


Titles used by knights, dames, baronets and baronetesses

These do not confer nobility. *
Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...
– Used by
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 ...
s and
baronets A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
*
Dame ''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system and those of several oth ...
– Used by dames and
baronetess A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
es "Sir" and "Dame" differ from titles such as "Mr" and "Mrs" in that they can only be used before a person's first name, and not immediately before their surname. * Chevalier (French) * Cavaliere (Italian)


Judicial titles

*
Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However ...
* Advocate General AG * Attorney *
Bailiff A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their o ...
*
Barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...
*
Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
C (of the High Court) *
Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
and
Admiralty Judge Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries, and offences. Admiralty courts in the United Kingdom England and Wales Scotland The Scottish court's earli ...
*
Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
J **
Lord Chief Justice Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
CJ (of the
judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
) **
Lord Justice Clerk The Lord Justice Clerk is the second most senior judge in Scotland, after the Lord President of the Court of Session. Originally ''clericus justiciarie'' or Clerk to the Court of Justiciary, the counterpart in the criminal courts of the Lord ...
**
Lord Justice of Appeal A Lord Justice of Appeal or Lady Justice of Appeal is a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, the Crown Court and other courts and tribunals. A Lord (or Lady) Justic ...
LJ (of the
Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much ...
) **
Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...
*
Magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...
and
Promagistrate In ancient Rome a promagistrate ( la, pro magistratu) was an ex-consul or ex- praetor whose '' imperium'' (the power to command an army) was extended at the end of his annual term of office or later. They were called proconsuls and propraetors. T ...
*
Master of the Rolls The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and Head of Civil Justice. As a judge, the Master of ...
MR (of the
Court of Appeal A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much ...
) * Member and Chairman, for members of quasi-judicial boards *
Mufti A Mufti (; ar, مفتي) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion (''fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatwas'' played an important role ...
and Grand Mufti * Notary * President of the Queen's Bench Division, President P (of the King's Bench Division, Queen's/King's Bench Division) or President of the Family Division, President P (of the Family Division) ** Lord President of the Court of Session * Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Privy Counsellor (or Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Privy Councillor) PC (of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council) * Queen's Counsel QC (King's Counsel KC when monarch is male) * Solicitor


Historical

* Lictor * Reeve (England), Reeve * Seneschal * Tribune


Ecclesiastical titles (Christian)

Titles are used to show somebody's ordination as a priest or their membership in a religious order. Use of titles differs between Christian denomination, denominations.


Religious

* Abbess * Abbot * Caliph * Brother (Christian), Brother – also for monk, monks * Friar * Mother, Abbess, Mother Superior, and Reverend Mother * Reverend * Sister – for Religious sister, religious sisters and nun, nuns


Priests

Christian priests often have their names prefixed with a title similar to The Reverend. * Bishop (from which come
Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...
, Boy Bishop, Lord Archbishop, Metropolitan Bishop, and Prince Bishop) * Presbyter * Priest (from which comes wikt:High Priest, High Priest. The feminine equivalent is Priestess.) * Priest, Father (Fr.) * Patriarch *
Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
* Catholicos * Vicar * Chaplain * Canon (priest), Canon * Pastor *
Prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...
* Primate (bishop), Primate * Dom (title), Dom – (from la, Dominus, "Lord") Used for Order of St. Benedict, Benedictine monks in solemn religious vows, but reserved for abbots among the Trappists. In Brazil, it is used for bishops. *
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **'' Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **'' Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, t ...
* Ter (title) – Used by Armenian priests.


Used for deceased persons only

* Servant of God * Venerable * Beatification, Blessed * Saint (abbreviated S. or St.)


Other

* Christ – Greek translation of Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (or Messiah), commonly used to refer to Jesus of Nazareth * Deacon and Archdeacon * Acolyte * Dean (religion), Dean * Elder (Christianity), Elder * Minister (Christianity), Minister * Monsignor * President of the Church (LDS Church), President (in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) * Reader (liturgy), Reader * Almoner and Lord High Almoner (Christian) * Apostle * Prophet * Teacher * Seventy * Evangelism, Evangelist * High Priest * Great (Lord) Father of all churches


Academic titles

* Dr. – Short for Doctor (title), doctor, a title used by those with doctoral degrees, such as DPhil, Doctor of Medicine, MD, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, DO, Dentist, DDS, Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, Doctor of Education, EdD, Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, DCN, Doctor of Business Administration, DBA, Doctor of Nursing Practice, DNP, Doctor of Pharmacy, PharmD, Veterinary education, DVM, and Legum Doctor, LLD. Those with Juris Doctor, JD degrees, although technically allowed, do not use this as a title by convention. * Prof. – Professor * Doc. – Docent * Eur Ing – Short for European Engineer, an international professional qualification and title for highly qualified engineers used in over 32 European countries.


Military titles

Military ranks are used before names. * Admiral (from which come Grand Admiral, Fleet Admiral, Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, Lord High Admiral, Rear Admiral, and Vice Admiral) * Brigadier * Captain (land), Captain (from which comes Group Captain) * Colonel (from which comes Lieutenant colonel, Lieutenant Colonel) * Commander (from which come Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant Commander, and Wing Commander (rank), Wing Commander) * Commodore (rank), Commodore (from which comes Air Commodore) * Corporal (from which come Lance Corporal and Staff Corporal) * General is usually used as a sort of shorthand for "general military commander". The term's far-reaching connotation has provoked its use in a very broad range of titles, including Adjutant General, Attorney General, Captain General, Colonel General, Director General, Generalissimo, General of the Army, Governor General, Lieutenant General, Lord Justice General, Major General, Resident (title), Resident General, Secretary General, United States Solicitor General, Solicitor General, Surgeon General of the United States, Surgeon General and Vicar General * Lieutenant (from which come First Lieutenant, Flight Lieutenant and Lord Lieutenant) * Major * Marshal (from which comes Air Chief Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Vice Marshal and Field Marshal) * Chief Mate, Mate, more often titled as Chief Mate or First Mate * Officer (armed forces), Officer, a generic sort of title whose use has spread in recent years into a wide array of mostly corporate and military titles. These include Air Officer, Chief Academic Officer, Chief analytics officer, Chief Business Development Officer, Chief Credit Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, Chief Knowledge Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Chief Security Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Technical Officer, Chief Warrant Officer, Corporate officer, Customs officer, Field officer, Executive officer, First Officer, Flag Officer, Flying Officer, General Officer, Intelligence Officer, Junior Warrant Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer, Master Warrant Officer, Officer of State, Petty Officer, Pilot Officer, Police Officer, Political officer (military), Political Officer, Revenue Officer, Military rank#Field or senior officers, Senior Officer, Ship's Officer, Staff Officer, and Warrant Officer. * Private (rank), Private, and many equivalent ranks depending on regiment. * Sergeant (from which come Sergeant at Mace and Sergeant of Arms).


Maritime and seafarer's professions and ranks

The names of shipboard officers, certain shipping line employees and Maritime Academy faculty/staff are preceded by their title when acting in performance of their duties. * Captain (nautical) – a ship's highest responsible officer acting on behalf of the ship's owner (Master) or a person who is responsible for the maintenance of the vessels of a shipping line, for their docking, the handling of cargo and for the hiring of personnel for deck departments (Port Captain). * Chief – a licensed mariner in charge of the engineering (Chief Engineer) or deck (Chief Mate or Officer) department * Mate – licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship (see Second Mate & Third Mate) * Cadet – unlicensed trainee mate/officer or engineer under training


Law enforcement

The names of police officers may be preceded by a title such as "Officer" or by their rank. * Constable (from which come Lord High Constable (disambiguation), Lord High Constable and Senior Constable) * wikt:agent, Agent * Sergeant * Officer * Chief


Protected professional titles

In North America, several jurisdictions restrict the use of some professional titles to those individuals holding a valid and recognised license to practice. Individuals not authorised to use these reserved titles may be fined or jailed. Protected titles are often reserved to those professions that require a bachelor's degree or higher and a state, provincial, or national license. * Professional Engineer, Registered Engineer * Registered Nurse, Professional Nurse, Registered Nurse, Nurse


Other organizations

Some titles are used to show one's role or position in a society or organization. * Principal (school), Principal * Nanny * Coach (sport), Coach * Wizard, such as the Grand Wizard and Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan * Brother or Sister * Chief Scout (The Scout Association) – the head of The Scout Association * King's Scout – title conferred upon a scout upon achieving highest attainable award achievable in the Scouting movement * King's Guide (Girlguiding UK), King's Guide – title conferred upon a guide upon highest attainable award for members of the Girl Guiding movement * Scout, Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America), Eagle Scout Some titles are used in English to refer to the position of people in foreign political systems * Citizen, First Citizen * Comrade


Non-English speaking areas


Default titles in other languages

* Note: Titles are seldom used in Sweden; people are usually referred to by their first name.


Rajput social titles

Titles used in Rajasthan and other neighbourhood states of India in honour of Rajputs (only): *Hukum – used in general to address any Rajput. Also used as suffix after following titles. *Daata – used for highest male member of a Rajput family. *Banna – used for Rajput boys. *Baisa – used for Rajput girls. *Babosa – used for eldest man of family. *Bhabha – used for eldest woman of family.


Martial Arts

* Sensei - used for martial arts instructors * Sempai - used for junior karate instructors and karate instructors in training * Karate-ka - used for karate students * Judge - used for the judges and referees at martial arts tournaments * Master - used for kung-fu instructors or people who have studied the art their entire life


Academic

* Docent * Doctorandus, abbreviated as ''drs.''


Religious

* Ayatollah * Bodhisattva * Druid and Archdruid * Hakham * Buddhahood, Buddha * Hajji * Imam * Kohen * Lama and the related Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama * Mahatma * Mahdi * Mullah * Nath * Pastor * Rabbi * Rebbe * Reverend * Rosh HaYeshiva * Saoshyant * Sardar * Sardarni * Tirthankar * Vardapet


Honorary titles

* Mahatma * Oknha * Pandit * Sant (religion), Sant * Sheikh * Swami * Ustad


Rulers

* Chancellor (from which come Lord Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor) * "Dear Leader" and "Supreme Leader" referred to Kim Jong-il as chief of North Korea. The title now refers to his son and successor Kim Jong-un. (친애하는 지도자, ch'inaehanŭn jidoja) * Elder (administrative title), Elder * Emir/Emira – Arabic Prince/Princess * Eze * Maharajah * Rajah * Rai (title), Rai * Malay styles and titles, Dato * Mwami * Nizam * Oba (ruler), Oba * Obi (ruler), Obi * Sultan/Sultana (title) – Arabic for "powerful ruler" * Tor Tiv of Tiv * Tribal chief, Chief – origin of Chief of Staff, Chieftain, Clan Chief, Hereditary Chief, and Warlord, War Chief. The present head of Samoa is titled a Paramount Chief * Vizier and Grand Vizier *Stadtholder


Historical titles for heads of state

The following are no longer officially in use, though some may be claimed by former regnal dynasties.


=Appointed

= * Caesar (title), Caesar (an honorific family name passed through Roman emperors by adoption) * Legate * Satrap * Tetrarch


=Elected or popularly declared

= * Archon *Augustus (title) * Caudillo * Consul * Decemvir * Doge * Duce * Führer *
Imperator The Latin word ''imperator'' derives from the stem of the verb la, imperare, label=none, meaning 'to order, to command'. It was originally employed as a title roughly equivalent to ''commander'' under the Roman Republic. Later it became a part o ...
* Lord Protector * Roman dictator * Triumvir


=Hereditary

= * Basileus * Caliph * Khagan * Khan (title), Khan * King-Emperor (the feminine equivalent is Queen-Empress) * Malik * Maharajah * Rajah * Rai (title), Rai * Emperor of Japan, Mikado * Mirza (noble), Mirza * Nawab * Negus * Patil (title), Patil * Pharaoh * Regina (the masculine form is Rex) * Saopha * Sapa Inca * Shah *
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
When a difference exists below, male titles are placed to the left and female titles are placed to the right of the slash. * Africa ** Almami, Almamy – Fulani people of west Africa ** List of rulers of Asante, Asantehene – Ashanti people, Ashanti, title of the King of the Ashanti people, Ashanti People in Ghana ** Igbo people, Eze – Igbo people of Nigeria ** Kabaka of Buganda, Kabaka – Baganda people of Buganda in Uganda ** Mwami – Kings of Rwanda and Burundi ** Negus – Ethiopia ** Oba (king), Oba – Yoruba people of Nigeria ** Omukama – Bunyoro, title of some Emperors/kings in Uganda ** Pharaoh – ancient Egypt * Asia ** Arasan/Arasi – Tamil Nadu (India), Sri Lanka ** Arqa/Thagavor – King of Armenia ** Bayin – The title given to the king of pre colonial Burma **Maharajah/ Rajah/ Rai (title), Rai/ Chakarwarti Raja – India Sri Lanka ** Chogyal — "Divine Ruler" — ruled Sikkim until 1975 ** Datu – pre-colonial Philippines ** Druk Gyalpo — hereditary title given to the king of Bhutan ** Engku or Ungku – Malaysia, to denote particular family lineage akin to royalty *** Hari – Filipino title for king *** List of Vietnamese monarchs, Hoang De – Self-styled Vietnamese "emperor"; unified Vietnam ** Emperor of China, Huángdì – Imperial China (Emperor) *** List of Korean monarchs, Hwangje – Self-styled Korean "emperor"; states that unified Korea ** Maharajah, Maha raja/feminine form is Maharani – Emperor, Empress India, Sri Lanka ** Meurah – Aceh before Islam ** Mirza (noble), Mirza, Persian/Iranian, Indian and Afghanistan and Tajikistan King *** Beg (title), Beg (Begzada or Begzadi, son-daughter of ''Beg''), Baig or Bey in Under ''Mirza'' & using King or Military title. ** Patil (title), Patil – meaning "head" or "chief" is an Indian title. The Patil is in effect the ruler of this territory as he was entitled to the revenues collected therefrom. ** Bhumibol Adulyadej, Phrabat Somdej Phrachaoyuhua – King of Thailand (Siam), the title literally means "The feet of the Greatest Lord who is on the heads (of his subjects)" (This royal title does not refer directly to the king himself but to his feet, according to traditions.) *** Racha – Thailand, same meaning as Raja *** Raja – pre-colonial Philippines *** Raja – Malaysia, Raja denotes royalty in Perak and certain Selangor royal family lineages, is roughly equivalent to Prince or Princess *** Raja/Rani – Nepal King *** Rani – Nepali Queen ** Patabendige, Patabenda – Sub- king Sri Lanka ** Norodom Sihamoni, Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech Preah Bâromneath – King of Cambodia Khmer language, Khmer, the title literally means "The feet of the Greatest Lord who is on the heads (of his subjects)" (referring not directly to the king himself but to his feet, according to tradition) ** Khagan, Qaghan – Central Asian Tribes ** Saopha – Shan people, Shan, king of Shan people, Shan, today as a part of Myanmar ** Shahinshah or Padshah or Badshah- Persian/
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian "King of Kings" or Persian rulers in Hindustan(India) *** Shah – Persian/Iranian and Afghanistan and Tajikistan King ** Sheikh – Arabic traditional regional leader, principalities of (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE) ** Sultan/Sultana (title), Sultana – Arabic King (present Oman and former Ottoman Empire) *** Aceh, Brunei, Java, Oman, Malaysia, Sultan is the title of seven (Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, and Terengganu) of the nine rulers of the Malay states. ** Rulers of Surakarta, Susuhanan – the Indonesian princely state of Surakarta until its abolition ** Syed – Islamic World, descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad ** Emperor of Japan, Tennō or Mikado – Japan *** ''Shōgun'' – Japanese military dictator *** Sumeramikoto, Okimi – Japan, king ** Tengku – Malaysia, Indonesia, Tengku (also spelled Tunku in Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah and Deli Sultanate of Indonesia is roughly equivalent to Prince or Princess ** Veyndhan, ko/Arasi – Tamil Nadu(India) ** Chinese nobility#Emperor, Wang (King) – pre-Imperial China. In China, "king" is the usual translation for the term ''wang'', 王. *** List of Korean monarchs, Wang – States of Korea that did not have control over the entire peninsula. *** List of Vietnamese monarchs, Vuong – States in Vietnam that did not control the entire realm. ** Yang di-Pertuan Agong – Monarch of Malaysia, elected each five years among the reigning Sultan of each Malaysian state * Europe **Autocrator – Greek term for the Byzantine Emperor ** Basileus – Greek ruler ** Despot (court title), Despot, a Byzantine court title, also granted in the states under Byzantine influence, such as the Latin Empire, Bulgaria, Serbia, and the Empire of Trebizond. ** Domn (in Romanian)/Gospodar (in Old Slavonian) – Medieval Romania (Moldova, Wallachia) ** Fejedelem – Ancient/Medieval Hungarian ** Germanic king ** Großbürger/Großbürgerin (English: Grand Burgher) – historical German title acquired or inherited by persons and family descendants of the ruling class in autonomous German-speaking cities and towns of Central Europe, origin under the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...
, ceased after 1919 along with all titles of German nobility. **
Kaiser ''Kaiser'' is the German word for "emperor" (female Kaiserin). In general, the German title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (''König''). In English, the (untranslated) word ''Kaiser'' is mainly ap ...
/Kaiserin – Imperial rulers of Germany and of Austria-Hungary ** Kniaz'/Knyaginya/Knez/Knjeginja (generally translated as "prince") – Kievan Rus'/Serbia ** Kunigaikshtis (Kunigaikštis) – Lithuanian, duke as in Grand Duchy of Lithuania. ** Rí, Rí túaithe, Ruiri, Rí ruireach, and Ard Rí – King, local king, regional overking, (provincial) king of overkings, and High King in Gaels, Gaelic Ireland, also Scotland **
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
/Tsarina – the ruler of Imperial Russia **
Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
/Tsaritsa – Bulgaria, pre-imperial Russia, Serbia ** Vezér – Ancient Hungarian ** Voivode, Vojvoda (Serbian)/Voivode, Vajda (Hungarian) – Serbian/Hungarian/Romani people, Romany title ** Župan, sometimes Veliki Župan (Grand Župan) – Serbia, Croatia * Oceania ** tribal chief, Chieftain – Leader of a tribe or clan. ** 'eiki, houeiki, fa'amatai, matai, ali'i, alii, tūlafale, tavana, ariki – usually translated as "chief" in various Polynesian countries. ** "Mo'i" – normally translated as King, used by Hawaiian monarchs since unification in 1810. The last person to hold that title was Queen Lili'uokalani. ** ''Tui'' or ''tui'' – there were/are also kings in Oceania (i.e. Samoa, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Nauru)


Aristocratic


Historical

Russian: * Boyarin * Dyak (clerk), Dyak * Knyaz (and Grand Prince, Veliky Knyaz) * Namestnik * Okolnichy * Posadnik * Voivode, Voyevoda German: * Burggraf *
Graf (feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as " count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is " ...
* Freigraf * Landgrave, Landgraf * Markgraf * Pfalzgraf * Reichsgraf Spanish: * Don (honorific), Don * Hidalgo (Spanish nobility), Hidalgo Others: * Augusta (honorific), Augusta (Feminine equivalent of
Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
) * Bitwoded (translates as Beloved) * Comes * Concubine (The Chinese imperial system, for instance, had a vastly complex hierarchy of titled concubines and wives to the emperor) * Dejazmach (translates as Commander of the Gate) * Fitawrari (translates as Leader of the Vanguard) * Gentleman (used as a title in such forms as Gentleman at Arms, Gentleman of the Bedchamber, and Gentleman Usher. The feminine equivalent is Gentlewoman, or, in some circumstances,
Lady The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inf ...
.) * Gerazmach (translates as Commander of the Left) * Kenyazmach (translates as Commander of the Right) * Ras (translates as Head) * Sahib


Other

* Commissioner (from which come First Church Estates Commissioner and High Commissioner) * Comptroller (from which Comptroller, Comptroller General and Comptroller of the Household) * Courtier * Curator * Doyen * Edohen * Ekegbian * Elerunwon * Forester or Master Forester * Village head, Headman * Intendant (and the related Superintendent) * Lamido * Marcher Lord, Marcher or Lady Marcher * Matriarch or Patriarch * Prior, Lord Prior * Pursuivant * Rangatira * Ranger * Registrar General, Registrar (in a variant spelling in the title Lord Clerk Register) * Seigneur (from which come Monsignor and the French common polite term Monsieur, equivalent to Mr, Mister) * Sharif * Shehu * Sheikh * Sheriff (from which comes High Sheriff) * Subaltern (military), Subaltern * Subedar * Sysselmann * Timi * Treasurer, Master Treasurer and Secretary Treasurer * Verderer * wikt:Warden, Warden, Hereditary Warden, Lord Warden * Woodman * Bearer, such as Hereditary Banner Bearer, Standard Bearer, or Swordbearer (ceremonial), Swordbearer * Sayyid * Apprentice * Journeyman * Adept * Akhoond * Arhat * Bwana * Goodman (title), Goodman and Goodwife * Grand Bard * Mullah * Sri * Baba (honorific), Baba * Effendi * Giani or Gyani * Guru * Siddha * Pir (Sufism), Pir, Murshid


Historical

* Abuna * Aedile * Ali'i * Aqabe sa'at (translates as Guardian of the Church Hours) * Balambaras (translates as Fortress Commander) * Ban (title), Bán * Baig * Bey * Boyar * Castellan * Cellarer * Censor (ancient Rome), Censor * Centurion * Circuitor * Commissar, often as People's Commissar * Conquistador * ''Daimyō'' * Dey * Dux * Prince-elector, Elector * Gauleiter * Guardian * Ichege * Infirmerer * Inquisitor and Grand Inquisitor * Jemadar * Kitchener * Magic (paranormal), Mage * Magister Militum * Majordomo * Maid (title), Maid – Archaic title denoting an unmarried woman, such as the character Maid Marian. Should not be confused with the general term for a young domestic worker, domestic worker housemaid girl. * Margrave * Viceroy, Naib * Officium * Pasha * Palatine (Ancient Rome, the Roman Catholic Church, Palatine of Hungary, Hungary (nádor), etc.) * Pontiff and Pontifex Maximus * Praetor * Prebendary * Quaestor * Sacrist * Samurai * ''Shōgun'' * Stadtholder * Steward (office), Steward * Thakur (title), Thakore * Voivode * Viceroy (the feminine equivalent is Vicereine)


Post-nominal letters

Members of legislatures often have post-nominal letters expressing this: * Member of Congress MC * Member of Parliament MP * Member of Youth Parliament MYP *Member of the European Parliament MEP *Member of the Scottish Parliament MSP * Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament MSYP *Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario), Member of Provincial Parliament MPP * Member of the National Assembly#Other, National Assembly MNA * Member of the House of Keys MHK ** Speaker of the House of Keys SHK *Member of the Legislative Council MLC *Member of the Legislative Assembly MLA * Member of the House of Representatives Rep. * Member of the House of Assembly MHA


University degrees

* Associate ** Associate of Arts, AA – Associate of Arts ** Associate of Applied Science, AAS – Associate of Applied Science ** Associate of Science, AS – Associate of Science * Bachelor ** Bachelor of Arts, BA – Bachelor of Arts ** Bachelor of Architecture, BArch – Bachelor of Architecture ** Bachelor of Business Administration, BBA – Bachelor of Business Administration ** BSBA – Bachelor of Science of Business Administration ** Bachelor of Biotechnology, BBiotech – Bachelor of Biotechnology ** Bachelor of Dental Surgery, BDS / BChD – Bachelor of Dental Surgery ** BDentTech – Bachelor of Dental Technology ** BDes – Bachelor of Design ** Bachelor of Divinity, BD / BDiv – Bachelor of Divinity ** Bachelor of Education, BEd – Bachelor of Education ** Bachelor of Engineering, BEng – Bachelor of Engineering ** Environmental design, BEnvd – Bachelor of Environmental Design ** Bachelor of Fine Arts, BFA – Bachelor of Fine Arts ** Bachelor of Laws, LLB – Bachelor of Laws ** Bachelor of Mathematics, BMath – Bachelor of Mathematics ** Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, MB, ChB / MB, BS / BM, BCh / MB, BChir – Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ** BMus – Bachelor of Music ** BN – Bachelor of Nursing ** Bachelor of Philosophy, BPhil – Bachelor of Philosophy ** Bachelor of Sacred Theology, STB – Bachelor of Sacred Theology ** Bachelor of Science, BSc – Bachelor of Science ** Bachelor of Science in Nursing, BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing ** Bachelor of Social Work, BSW – Bachelor of Social Work ** Bachelor of Theology, BTh / ThB – Bachelor of Theology ** Bachelor of Veterinary Science, BVSc – Bachelor of Veterinary Science * Designer [Dz] * Doctor (title), Doctor ** Doctor of Arts, DA – Doctor of Arts ** Doctor of Business Administration, DBA – Doctor of Business Administration ** Doctor of Divinity, D.D. – Doctor of Divinity ** Doctor of Education, Ed.D. – Doctor of Education ** Engineering Doctorate, EngD or DEng – Doctor of Engineering ** Doctor of Fine Arts, DFA – Doctor of Fine Arts ** Doctor of Musical Arts, DMA – Doctor of Musical Arts ** Doctor of Ministry, D.Min. – Doctor of Ministry ** Doctor of Music, D.Mus. – Doctor of Music ** Doctor of Professional Studies, D.Prof – Doctor of Professional Studies ** Doctor of Public Administration, DPA – Doctor of Public Administration ** Doctor of Science, D.Sc. – Doctor of Science ** Doctor of Jurisprudence, JD – Doctor of Jurisprudence ** LL.D. – Doctor of Laws ** Doctor of Medicine, MD – Doctor of Medicine ** Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, DO – Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine ** Doctor of Pharmacy, Pharm.D. – Doctor of Pharmacy ** Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D. / Doctor of Philosophy, D.Phil. – Doctor of Philosophy ** Doctor of Psychology, PsyD – Doctor of Psychology ** Doctor of Juridical Science, SJD – Doctor of Juridical Science ** Doctor of Theology, Th.D. – Doctor of Theology ** Doctorates within the field of medicine: *** Doctor of Chiropractic, DC *** Doctor of Dental Surgery, DDS – Doctor of Dental Surgery *** Doctor of Dental Medicine, DMD – Doctor of Dental Medicine *** Doctor of Optometry, O.D. *** Doctor of Physical Therapy, DPT *** Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, DPM *** Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, DVM * Master ** Master of Architecture, MArch – Master of Architecture ** Master of Arts, MA – Master of Arts ** Master of Arts, MAL – Master of Liberal Arts ** Master of Business Administration, MBA – Master of Business Administration ** Master of Public Administration, MPA – Master of Public Administration ** Master of Public Service, MPS – Master of Public Service ** Master of Planning, MPl – Master of Planning ** Master in Chemistry, MChem – Master in Chemistry ** MC – Master of Counselling ** Master of Design, M. Des – Master of Design ** Master of Divinity, M.Div. – Master of Divinity ** MDrama – Master of Drama ** Master of Dental Surgery, MDS – Master of Dental Surgery ** Master of Education, MEd – Master of Education ** Master of Educational Technology, MET – Master of Educational Technology ** Master of Engineering, MEng – Master of Engineering ** Master of Fine Arts, MFA – Master of Fine Arts ** Master of Healthcare Administration, MHA – Master of Healthcare Administration ** MHist – Master of History ** Master of Letters, MLitt - Master of Letters ** Master of Law, LL.M. – Master of Law ** Master of Landscape Architecture, MLA – Master of Landscape Architecture ** Master of Mathematics, MMath – Master of Mathematics ** Master of Philosophy, MPhil – Master of Philosophy ** Master of Research, MRes – Master of Research ** Master of Science, MSc – Master of Science ** MScBMC – Master of Biomedical Communications ** Master of Physics, MPhys – Master of Physics ** Master of Pharmacy, MPharm – Master of Pharmacy ** Master of Public Health, MPH – Master of Public Health ** Master of Science in Business Analytics, MSBA - Master of Science in Business Analytics ** Master of Science in Engineering, MSE – Master of Science in Engineering ** Master of Science in Real Estate, MSRE – Master of Science in Real Estate ** MSW – Master of Social Work ** Magister (degree), Magister – Magister ** Master of Sacred Theology, S.T.M. – Master of Sacred Theology ** Master of Theology, MTh/Th.M. – Master of Theology ** Master of Urban and Regional Planning, MURP – Master of Urban and Regional Planning


See also

* Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy * Corporate title * Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles * False titles of nobility * Hereditary title * Honorific * Index of religious honorifics and titles * List of titles * Military rank * Nobility * Peerage * Political institutions of Rome * Post-nominal letters * Pre-nominal letters * Royal and noble ranks * Royal and noble styles * Suffix (name) * Style (manner of address) * Title of honor * List of titles held only by one person, Titles held only by one person


Notes


References


Sources

* ''African Kings'' by Daniel Lainé * ''Keepers of the Kingdom'' by Alastair Bruce, Julian Calder, and Mark Cator * ''Master and Commander'', film directed by Peter Weir


External links

* * * {{Social titles Titles,