A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the first and last name (for example, in German or clerical titles such as Cardinal in Catholic usage – Richard Cardinal Cushing). Some titles are hereditary.
Types Titles include: Honorific titles or styles of address, a phrase used to convey respect to the recipient of a communication, or to recognize an attribute such as: Imperial, royal and noble rank Academic degree Social title, prevalent among certain sections of society due to historic or other reasons. Other accomplishment, as with a title of honor Title of authority, an identifier that specifies the office or position held by an official
Titles in English-speaking areas Common titles Mr. – All males Ms. – Adult women Mrs. – Married women (includes widows and divorcées) Miss – Unmarried women and girls (form of address) Madam (also Madame and Ma'am) – Formal form of address for an adult woman. Also used with an official position, similar to "Mister" for men, e.g. "Madam/Mister 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 (though various titles, such as Mx., are increasingly used in some countries). 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 Family titles in English-speaking countries include:
Uncle – one's parent's brother (may also include great uncles) Cousin – son or daughter of either parent's brother or sister Aunt or Aunty – one's parent's sister (may also include great aunts) Granny, Gran, Grandma or Nana – one's grandmother (may also include great-grandmothers) Pop, Grandpa, Gramps or Grandad – one's grandfather (may also include great-grandfathers)
Legislative and executive titles Hon. (Honourable), for younger sons and daughters of barons, and Rt. Hon. (Right Honourable), for Privy Councillors, used in the United Kingdom
Some job titles of members of the legislature and executive are used as titles. MP, for members of the Parliament (usually the lower house) MYP, for members of the UK Youth Parliament MSYP, for members of the Scottish Youth Parliament Representative Senator, for members of the American or Australian upper house Speaker, for speaker of Parliament President (from which comes such titles as Deputy President, Executive Vice President, Lord President of the Council, and Vice President) Councillor, for member of a council Youth Councillor (YC) Alderman/Selectman Delegate Mayor and related terms such as Lady Mayoress and Lord Mayor Governor and Lieutenant Governor Prefect Prelate Premier Burgess Ambassador Envoy Secretary, Cardinal Secretary of State, Foreign Secretary, General Secretary, Secretary of State, and other titles in the form "Secretary of..." in which Secretary means the same thing as Minister Attaché Chargé d'affaires Provost Minister (from which comes such titles as Prime Minister and Health Minister)
Aristocratic titles
Prince/Princess – From the Latin , meaning 'first person' or 'first citizen'. The title was originally used by Augustus at the establishment of the Roman Empire to avoid the political risk of assuming the title ('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 and its subsidiary territories until 1918 which is still used in Liechtenstein (Monaco still uses the title Prince to this day, even though it was not a part of the Holy Roman Empire), and in Imperial Russia before 1917. The German title is ('first'), a translation of the Latin term; the equivalent Russian term is (). Archduke/Archduchess – A title derived from the Greek ('ruler; higher') and the Latin ('leader'). It was used most notably by the Habsburg Dynasty, who ruled Austria and Hungary until 1918. Grand Duke/Grand Duchess – 'Big; large' + Latin ('leader'). A variant of Archduke, used particularly in English translations Romanov Dynasty Russian titles. Also used in various Germanic territories until World War I. Still survives in Luxembourg. Duke/Duchess – From the Latin , a military title used in the Roman Empire, especially in its early Byzantine period when it designated the military commander for a specific zone. Marquis, Marquess/Marquise, or Marchioness – From the French , literally 'ruler of a border area' (from the Old French meaning 'border'; exact English translation is 'March Lord', or 'Lord of the March'. Count/Countess - From the Latin 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 , which commanded locally based forces. Earl (used in the United Kingdom instead of Count, but the feminine equivalent is Countess) – From the Germanic , 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/Viscountess - From the Latin ('Deputy; substitute'. Hence vicar and prefix vice-) appended to Latin . Literally translates as 'Deputy Count'. Baron/Baroness - From the Late Latin , 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, 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, Lord of Parliament and Lady of Parliament are the equivalents of Baron and Baroness in England.
Lord – From the Old English , , meaning, literally, 'bread-keeper', from ('bread') + ('guardian, keeper') and by extension 'husband, father, or chief'. (From which comes modified titles such as First Sea Lord and Lord of the manor.) The feminine equivalent is Lady from the related Old English meaning, literally, "bread-kneader", from ("bread") + ("maid"), and by extension wife, daughter, or mistress of the house. (From which comes First Lady, the Second Lady, etc.) Emperor/Empress – From the Latin , meaning 'he/she who holds the authority to command ()'. King/Queen – Derived from Old Norse/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 meant 'wife'. By the time the words came into English they already meant 'ruler'. Tsar/Tsarina (Tsaritsa) – Slavonic loan-word from Latin. Caesar – The name of Julius Caesar taken by his heir Augustus and thereafter by Augustus' successors as Roman Emperor through the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Loaned into German as . Leader – From Old English , meaning "to guide". The head of state of North Korea is titled Great Leader. The de facto head of state of Iran is titled Supreme Leader. Chief – A variation of the English "Prince", used as the short form of the word "Chieftain" (except for in Scotland, where "Chieftain" is a title held by a titleholder subordinate to a chief). Generally used to refer to a recognised leader within a chieftaincy system. From this come the variations paramount chief, clan chief and village chief. The feminine equivalent is Chieftess.
Male versionFemale versionRealmAdjectiveLatinExamplesPope n/aPapacyPapalMonarch of the Papal States and later Sovereign of the State of Vatican CityEmperorEmpressEmpire () Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Ottoman Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Russia, First and Second French Empire, Austria, Mexican Empire, Empire of Brazil, German Empire (none left in Europe after 1918), Empress of India (ceased to be used after 1947 when India was granted independence from the British Empire), Japan (the only remaining enthroned emperor in the world).KingQueenKingdomRoyal ()Common in larger sovereign statesViceroyVicereineViceroyaltyViceroyal, ViceregalHistorical: Spanish Empire (Peru, New Spain, Rio de la Plata, New Granada), Portuguese Empire (India, Brazil), British EmpireGrand DukeGrand DuchessGrand duchyGrand DucalToday: Luxembourg; historical: Lithuania, Baden, Finland, Tuscany et al.ArchdukeArchduchessArchduchyArchducalHistorical: Unique only in Austria, Archduchy of Austria; title used for member of the Habsburg dynastyPrincePrincessPrincipality, Princely statePrincelyToday: Monaco, Liechtenstein, Asturies, Wales; Andorra (Co-Princes). Historical: Albania, SerbiaDukeDuchessDuchyDucalDuke of Buccleuch, Duke of York, Duke of Devonshire et al.CountCountessCountyComitalMost common in the Holy Roman Empire, translated in German as ; historical: Portugal, Barcelona, Brandenburg, Baden, numerous othersBaronBaronessBaronyBaronialThere are normal baronies and sovereign baronies, a sovereign barony being comparable to a principality; however, this is an historical exception: sovereign barons no longer have a sovereign barony, but only the title and styleChiefChieftainessChiefdom, ChieftaincyChieflyThe clan chiefs of Scotland, the grand chiefs in the Papua New Guinean honours system, the chief of the Cherokee nation, the chiefs of the Nigerian chieftaincy system, numerous others
Titles used by knights, dames, baronets and baronetesses Sir – Used by knights and baronets Dame – Used by dames and baronetesses
Both the titles "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. Neither "Sir" or "Dame" confer nobility upon the titleholder.
(French) (Italian)
Judicial titles Advocate Advocate General (AG) Attorney Bailiff Barrister Chancellor (C) (of the High Court) Judge and Admiralty Judge Justice (J) Chief Justice or Lord Chief Justice (CJ) (of the judiciary) Lord Justice Clerk Lord Justice of Appeal (LJ) (of the Court of Appeal) Justice of the Peace Magistrate and Promagistrate Master of the Rolls (MR) (of the Court of Appeal) Member and Chairman, for members of quasi-judicial boards Mufti and Grand Mufti Notary President (P) (of the Queen's/King's Bench Division) or President (P) (of the Family Division) Lord President of the Court of Session Privy Counsellor (or 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 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 denominations.
Religious Abbess Abbot Brother – also for monks Friar Mother, Mother Superior, and Reverend Mother Reverend Sister – for religious sisters and nuns
Priests Christian priests often have their names prefixed with a title similar to The Reverend.
Bishop (from which come Archbishop, Boy Bishop, Lord Archbishop, Metropolitan Bishop, and Prince Bishop) Presbyter