View source for Imperial, royal and noble ranks

{{short description|Legal privilege given to some members in monarchical and princely societies}}
{{Monarchism}}
{{Royal and noble ranks}}
{{Royal and noble ranks of West, Central, and Southern Asia}}
Traditional rank amongst European [[emperor|imperiality]], [[monarch|royalty]], [[peerage|peers]], and [[nobility]] is rooted in [[Late Antiquity]] and the [[Middle Ages]]. Although they vary over time and among [[geographic region]]s (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's [[grand duke]]), the following is a reasonably comprehensive list that provides information on both general ranks and specific differences.{{vague|date=October 2016}} Distinction should be made between reigning (or formerly reigning) families and the nobility – the latter being a social class subject to and created by the former.

==Sovereign==
{{Main|Monarch|Sovereign}}

* The word ''monarch'' is derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] {{lang|grc|μονάρχης}}, ''monárkhēs'', "sole ruler" (from {{lang|grc|μόνος}}, ''mónos'', "single" or "sole", and {{lang|grc|ἄρχων}}, ''árkhōn'', "[[archon]]", "leader", "ruler", "chief", the word being the present participle of the verb {{lang|grc|ἄρχειν}}, ''árkhein'', "to rule", "to lead", this from the noun {{lang|grc|ὰρχή}}, ''arkhē'', "beginning", "authority", "principle") through the [[Latin]]ized form {{lang|la|monarcha}}.
* The word ''sovereign'' is derived from the [[Latin]] {{Lang|la|super}} ("above").
* [[Autocracy|Autocrat]] is derived from the Greek {{lang|grc|αὐτοκράτωρ}}: {{lang|grc|αὐτός}} ("self") and {{lang|grc|κρατείν}} ("to hold power"), and may be translated as "one who rules by himself.”

Many titles listed may also be used by lesser nobles – non-sovereigns – depending on the historical period and state. The sovereign titles listed below are grouped together into categories roughly according to their degree of dignity; these being: imperial (Emperor/Empress, etc.), royal (King/Queen, Grand Duke, etc.), others (sovereign Prince, sovereign Duke, etc.), and religious.

===Imperial titles===
*"'''[[Emperor]]'''" (in [[English language|English]]), '''{{lang|pt|Imperador}}''' (in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]), '''{{lang|es|Emperador}}''' (in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]), '''{{lang|it|Imperatore}}''' (in [[Italian language|Italian]]) and '''{{lang|fr|Empereur}}''' (in [[French language|French]]), from the Latin '''{{lang|la|[[Imperator]]}}''', was originally a military title.<ref>[https://www.infoplease.com/whos-who-monarchy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507210121/https://www.infoplease.com/whos-who-monarchy|title=Who's Who in a Monarchy {{!}} A look at the aristocratic pecking order|author=David Johnson|date=7 May 2019}}</ref> Soldiers would salute the leader of a victorious army as '{{lang|la|imperator}}'. In English, the feminine form is '''Empress''' (the Latin is ''{{lang|la|imperatrix}}''). The realm of an emperor or empress is termed an ''Empire''. Other words meaning Emperor include:
**'''[[Augustus (title)|Augustus]]''', a Roman honorific title which means "venerable" or "majestic", used by Roman Emperors from the beginning of the Empire onwards. The feminine form is [[List of Augustae|'''Augusta''']].
**'''[[Caesar (title)|Caesar]]''', the appellation of [[Roman Empire|Roman]] emperors derived from the Roman [[Roman dictator|dictator]] [[Julius Caesar]], whose great-nephew and adopted son [[Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus]] became the first emperor of Rome. Augustus' four successors were each made the adoptive son of his predecessor, and were therefore legally entitled to use "Caesar" as a constituent of their names; after [[Nero]], however, the familial link of the [[Julio-Claudian dynasty]] was disrupted and use of the word ''Caesar'' continued as a title only.
*** '''[[Kaiser]]''', derived from Caesar, primarily used in Germanic countries. The feminine form in German is '''Kaiserin.'''
***'''[[Tsar|Tsar / Tzar / Csar / Czar]]''', derived as shortened variant of the Slavic pronunciation of Caesar (''tsyasar''), the feminine form is '''[[Tsaritsa]]''', primarily used in Bulgaria, and after that in Russia and other Slavic countries, although in English '''Tsarina''' was also sometimes used.
*** '''Keizer''', the Dutch word for Caesar. The Dutch and Portuguese gave the rulers of [[Sonbai]] the title of "emperor" (''keizer'', ''imperador'').<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hägerdal |first=Hans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BbJiAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA68 |title=Lords of the Land, Lords of the Sea: Conflict and Adaptation in Early Colonial Timor, 1600-1800 |date=2012-01-01 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-25350-6 |language=en|page=68}}</ref>
**'''[[Autokrator|Basileus kai Autokrator]]''', [[Medieval Greek]] title meaning "sovereign and autocrat", used by the [[Byzantine Empire|Greek Byzantine Emperors]] from the 9th century onwards.
**'''[[Tlahtoani|Huēyi Tlahtloāni]]''', the [[Classical Nahuatl]] term for the ruler of multiple {{lang|nci|[[altepetl|āltepētl]]}}, a [[pre-Hispanic]] city-state in [[Mesoamerica]], commonly referring to the head of the [[Aztec Triple Alliance]], or [[Aztec Empire]]. It is variously translated in English as "Great Speaker" or the equivalent to the European "[[great king]]" or "[[high king]]", though more usually as "[[emperor]]".<ref>Lockhart (2001, p.238); Schroeder (2007, p.3). See also the entry for [http://sites.estvideo.net/malinal/tl/nahuatlTLAHTLI.html#TLAHTOANI "TLAHTOANI"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614183207/http://sites.estvideo.net/malinal/tl/nahuatlTLAHTLI.html#TLAHTOANI|date=2007-06-14}}, in Wimmer (2006)</ref>
**'''[[Sapa Inca]]''', The '''Sapa Inca''' (Hispanicized spelling) or '''Sapa Inka''' ([[Quechua language|Quechua]] for "the only Inca"), also known as '''Apu''' ("divinity"), '''Inka Qhapaq''' ("mighty Inca"), or simply '''Sapa''' ("the only one"), was the ruler of the [[Kingdom of Cusco]] and, later, the monarch of the [[Inca Empire|''Tawantinsuyu'']] (called [[Inca Empire]] by historians) and the [[Neo-Inca State]].
**[[Emperor#Indian subcontinent|'''Samrat''']], (Sanskrit: samrāt or {{lang|sa|सम्राट}}) is an [[ancient India]]n title meaning "king of all lands".<ref>''The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary'', Vaman Shivaram Apte</ref> The feminine form is '''Samrājñī''' ("queen of all lands").
** '''[[Chakravarti (Sanskrit term)|Chakravarti]]''', the [[Universal monarchy|universal monarch]] in the [[Indian cultural sphere]]. The feminine form is '''Chakravartini'''.
*** '''Chakravartigal''', the equivalent of the northern Chakravartin. Used by the emperors of the [[Chola Empire]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thapar |first=Romila |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-5irrXX0apQC&pg=PA366 |page=366|title=Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300 |year=2004 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-24225-8 |language=en|quote=The unobtrusive titles used by the early Chola kings were replaced with high-sounding ones, such as ''chakravartigal'' (emperor, the equivalent of the northern ''chakravartin'').}}</ref>
*** '''Tribhuvana-Chakravartin''', literally "emperor of the three worlds", used by the [[Cholas]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Eraly |first=Abraham |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=te1sqTzTxD8C&pg=PA103 |title=The First Spring: The Golden Age of India |date=2011 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-670-08478-4 |page=103|language=en}}</ref>
*** '''Cakkavattin''', [[Pali]] for  Chakravartin. Claimed by the Siamese, Khmer, Lao, and Burmese monarchs.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Stuart-Fox |first1=Martin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MGeoEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA69 |page=69 |title=Historical Dictionary of Laos |last2=Creak |first2=Simon |edition=4|date=2023-02-06 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-2028-6 |language=en}}</ref>
**** '''Chakkaphat''', the Thai/Lao version of Cakkavattin<ref>{{Cite book |last=Holt |first=John Clifford |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dl8EEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA29 |page=29|title=Theravada Traditions: Buddhist Ritual Cultures in Contemporary Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka |date=2017-03-31 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=978-0-8248-7245-8 |language=en}}</ref>
*** '''轉輪王''' ("wheel-turning king") or '''轉輪聖王''' ("wheel-turning sacred king"), the Chinese characters for Chakravarti, used in East Asia
**** '''金輪王''' or '''金輪聖王''', meaning "cakravartin of the golden wheel", used by the Chinese empress [[Wu Zetian]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rothschild |first=N. Harry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mHmpBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA200 |page=200|title=Emperor Wu Zhao and Her Pantheon of Devis, Divinities, and Dynastic Mothers |date=2015-06-16 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-53918-0 |language=en}}</ref> the Japanese emperor [[Emperor Go-Daigo|Go-Daigo]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Conlan |first=Thomas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m34p1f93HogC&pg=PA90 |page=90 |title=From Sovereign to Symbol: An Age of Ritual Determinism in Fourteenth Century Japan |date=2011-11-10 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-977810-2 |language=en}}</ref> etc.
**** '''[[Emperor Manjushri]]''',  one of the titles for the [[Qing emperors]]. Related to the wheel-turning king ([[Chakravarti (Sanskrit term)|Chakravarti]]).
** '''[[Padishah]]''', Persian ''pād'' "master" and ''shāh'' "king". Used in the [[Ottoman Empire]] and the [[Mughal Empire]].
** '''[[wikt:皇帝|皇帝]]''' is the title of emperors in [[East Asia]]. An emperor is called ''Huángdì'' in Chinese, ''Hwangje'' in Korean, ''Hoàng đế'' in Vietnamese, and ''Kōtei'' in Japanese, but these are all just their respective pronunciations of the Chinese characters '''皇帝'''.
***'''[[Emperor of China|Huangdi (皇帝)]]''', the [[Imperial monarch]] during [[Imperial China]].
**** '''Da Huangdi (大皇帝)''', literally "great emperor", one of the titles for the [[Qing emperors]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Huang |first=Xingtao |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=adEeEQAAQBAJ&pg=PA14 |page=14 |title=Reshaping China: The Concept of the Chinese Nation in Modern Times |date=2024-09-09 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-69690-7 |language=en}}</ref>
*** '''Hwangje (황제; 皇帝)''', title used for emperors of the [[Korean Empire]]
**** '''Seonghwang (성황; 聖皇)''', literally "holy emperor", one of the titles for the rulers of the [[Goryeo]].<ref name="aju"/> It is a combination of 聖 (''seong''), meaning "holy", and 皇, an abbreviation of 皇帝 (''hwangje'').
*** '''[[List of monarchs of Vietnam#Vietnamese titles|Hoàng đế]] (皇帝)''', Vietnamese, meaning "emperor"
***'''Kōtei ({{lang|ja|皇帝}})''', Japanese title primarily used for emperors of other nations (e.g. Rome, Russia, China, Germany). ''[[Tennō]]'' refers only to an emperor of Japan, whereas ''kōtei'' refers to an emperor of any country.
****'''[[Emperor of Japan|Tennō]] ({{lang|ja|天皇}})''', meaning "heavenly emperor", title used for emperors of Japan. It is a combination of [[天]] (''ten''), meaning "heavenly", and 皇, an abbreviation of 皇帝 (''kōtei'').
**** '''Mikado (帝)''', the traditional title for ''[[Tennō]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Malešević |first=Siniša |author-link=Sinisa Malesevic |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rn2DDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA72 |page=72|title=Grounded Nationalisms |date=2019-02-21 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-42516-2 |language=en}}</ref> 帝 (''mikado'') is an abbreviation of 皇帝 (''kōtei'').
** '''[[King of Kings]]''', the style of monarchic title used in a number of empires
*** '''[[Khagan]]''', derived from "khan of khans", used by the [[Central Asia]]n [[nomads]]. The feminine form is '''[[Khatun]]'''.
****'''[[Khan of Heaven|Tian Kehan (天可汗)]]''', meaning "[[Tian|heavenly]] [[khagan]]", given to [[Tang Taizong]] and [[Tang Gaozong]] by Turkic nomads
*** '''[[King of Kings#Assyria and Babylon|Šar Šarrāni]]''',<ref name="malinowski">{{Cite book |author-last=Malinowski |author-first=Gościwit |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110731590-002/html?lang=en |title=Empire and Politics in the Eastern and Western Civilizations |chapter=''Imperator-Huangdi'': The Idea of the Highest Universal Divine Ruler in the West and China |pages=7–8 |editor-last1=Balbo |editor-first1=Andrea |editor-last2=Ahn |editor-first2=Jaewon |editor-last3=Kim |editor-first3=Kihoon |year=2022 |publisher=De Gruyter |doi=10.1515/9783110731590-002 |isbn=978-3-11-073159-0 }}</ref> Akkadian for "king of kings"
*** '''[[Shahanshah]]''',<ref name="malinowski"/> Persian title equivalent of the style [[King of Kings]], meaning "shah of shahs". Used by Persian/Iranian monarchs.
*** '''[[Sultan of Sultans|Sulṭānü's-Selāṭīn]]''', the sultanic equivalent of the style King of Kings, meaning "Sultan of Sultans".
*** '''[[King of Kings#Hellenic usage|Basileus Basileōn]]''',<ref name="malinowski"/> [[Ancient Greek language|Ancient Greek]] title meaning "king of kings", used by [[Alexander the Great]] after the similar title of the [[Achaemenid dynasty]] of Persia. A translation from Ancient Persian [[Shahanshah]].
*** '''[[Emperor of Ethiopia|Nəgusä Nägäst]]''',<ref name="malinowski"/> title of the rulers of [[Ethiopian Empire|Ethiopia]], meaning "king of kings".
*** '''[[King of Kings#Armenia|Ark'ayits Ark'a]]''',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dédéyan |first=Gérard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y5MlAQAAMAAJ&q=%22ark'ayits+ark'a%22 |title=Les Arméniens entre Grecs, Musulmans et Croisés: étude sur les pouvoirs arméniens dans le Proche-Orient méditerranéen (1068-1150) |year=2003 |page=531|publisher=Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian |language=fr}}</ref> Արքայից Արքայ, Armenian for "king of kings"
*** '''[[Mepe-Mepeta]]''', მეფეთა მეფე, Georgian for "king of kings"
*** '''[[King of Kings#Ancient India|Rajadhiraja]]''',<ref name="malinowski"/> Sanskrit for "king of kings"
**** '''[[Maharajadhiraja]]''',<ref name="malinowski"/> meaning "great king of kings", used by the emperors of the [[Gupta Empire]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shastri |first=Ajay Mitra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Idd9i5nP160C&pg=PA107 |page=107|title=Inscriptions of the Śarabhapurīyas, Pāṇḍuvaṁśins, and Somavaṁśins: Introduction |year=1995 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-0635-1 |language=en}}</ref> In ancient India it was an imperial title, but it later became a royal title.
*** '''[[King of Kings#Buyid revival|Malik al-Muluk]]''', Arabic title meaning "king of kings"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Savant |first=Sarah Bowen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9U4CAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA8 |page=8|title=The New Muslims of Post-Conquest Iran: Tradition, Memory, and Conversion |date=2013-09-30 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-29231-4 |language=en}}</ref>

===Royal titles===

*'''[[King]]''', from the Germanic ''*kuningaz'', roughly meaning "son of the people." (See: [[Germanic kingship]]){{efn|Loss of sovereignty or [[fief]] does not necessarily lead to loss of title. The position in the ranking table is however accordingly adjusted. The occurrence of fiefs has changed from time to time, and from country to country. For instance, dukes in England rarely had a duchy to rule.|name="sov"}} The realm of a king is termed a kingdom (sovereign kings are ranked above vassal kings). The female equivalent of a king is a '''[[queen regnant]]''', and a consort is '''[[queen consort]]''', from the Germanic ''*kwoeniz'', or ''*kwenon'', "wife"; cognate of [[Greek language|Greek]] γυνή, ''gynē'', "woman"; from [[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] ''*gʷḗn'', "woman". Regardless of a ruler's sex, their realm is known as a ''kingdom''.
**'''[[Rex (title)|Rex]]''', Latin for king, the feminine form is '''[[Regina (disambiguation)|Regina]]'''.
**'''Rei''' (in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] and [[Catalan language|Catalan]]), '''Rey''' (in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]), '''Re''' (in [[Italian language|Italian]]), '''Roi''' (in [[French language|French]]), '''Rege''' (in [[Romanian language|Romanian]]) - Derived from Latin '''Rex''', meaning "ruler". Rex is cognate with Raja, ''Rí'', Reign, Regina, Arqa (Armenian Արքա), etc.
**'''[[Basileus]]''', from [[Mycenaean Greek]] meaning "chieftain", used by various Ancient Greek rulers.
**'''[[Bretwalda]]''', title given to some of the rulers of [[Heptarchy|Anglo-Saxon kingdoms]] from the 5th century onwards who had achieved overlordship of some or all of the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
**'''[[Armenian nobility|Arka]]''' or Arqa (Արքա) is a royal title (king) in [[Great Armenia]] and various Kingdoms of Armenia. Another used name was '''Tagavor''' or '''Thagawor''', which also appeared later in [[Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia|Cilician Armenia]].
**'''[[Malik|Melech]]''', Hebrew word for king. The word for queen is '''Malka'''.
** '''[[wikt:王|王]]''' is the title of kings in East Asia. A king is called ''Wáng'' in Chinese, ''Wang'' in Korean, ''Vương'' in Vietnamese, and ''Ō'' in Japanese, but these are all just their respective pronunciations of the Chinese character '''王'''.
***'''[[Chinese sovereign#King|Wáng]] (王)''', the [[head of state]] of [[Ancient China]]. In ancient China it was a royal title, but later became a princely title.
****'''{{ill|Bà Wáng|zh|霸王}} (霸王)''', meaning "[[Hegemony|Hegemon]]-King"
**** '''[[Tian Wang]] (天王)''', meaning "heavenly king"
**** '''{{ill|Yìxìng Wáng|zh|異姓王}} (異姓王)''', meaning "different surnamed king/prince". This title was granted to subjects as a peerage.
*** '''[[Korean nobility#Royal titles|Wang]] (왕; 王)''', Korean, meaning "king"
**** '''Daewang (대왕; 大王)''', Korean title meaning "great king"<ref>{{Citation |title=대왕(大王) |website=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0014612 |access-date=2024-08-11 |language=ko}}</ref>
**** '''[[Taewang]] (태왕; 太王)''', literally "greatest king", a Korean title for the rulers of the [[Goguryeo]]
**** '''Seongwang (성왕; 聖王)''', meaning "holy king", used by the [[Balhae]] monarchs<ref>{{Cite web |title=발해(渤海) |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0021626 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |language=ko}}</ref>
**** '''Sinseongjewang (신성제왕; 神聖帝王)''', literally "holy emperor-king", one of the titles for the rulers of the [[Goryeo]]<ref name="aju">{{Cite web |author=강효백 |date=2020-12-11 |title=[강효백의 新 아방강역고-7] 고려는 황제국 스모킹건12(3) |url=https://m.ajunews.com/view/20201210165552253 |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=[[Aju Business Daily]] |language=ko}}</ref>
*** '''[[List of monarchs of Vietnam#Vietnamese titles|Vương]] (王)''', Vietnamese, meaning "king". In ancient Vietnam it was a royal title, but later became a princely title.
**** '''[[Vietnamese nobility|Đại vương]] (大王)''', Vietnamese, meaning "great king/prince"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kiernan |first=Ben |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C1EjDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA249 |page=249|title=Viet Nam: A History from Earliest Times to the Present |date=2017-02-17 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-062729-4 |language=en}}</ref>
***'''Ō (王)''', Japanese, meaning "king", or "sovereign". Also the title for the rulers of the [[Wakoku]]. In ancient Japan it was a royal title, but later became a princely title. The female title is '''Joō''' (女王).
**** '''[[Okimi]] (大王)''', Japanese title meaning "great king"
**'''Król''' (in [[Polish language|Polish]]) '''Král''' (in [[Czech language|Czech]]), '''Király''' (in [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]), '''Король''' (in [[Russian language|Russian]] and [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]), '''Кароль''' (in [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]]), '''Краљ''' / '''Kralj''' (in [[Serbian language|Croatian and Serbian]]), '''Крал''' (in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]), '''Crai''' (in [[Romanian language|Romanian]]), '''[[Korol]]''' – Derived from Old East Slavic Король ''king'', used in Kazakh, Tatar, and Kyrgyz languages. The ''korol'', ''krol'', ''kral'', ''крал'' and ''kiraly'' versions used in [[Central Europe]] and [[Eastern Europe]] derive from the name of [[Charlemagne]].
**'''[[List of emperors of Tibet|Tsenpo]]''', also known as '''Ihase''' or "Divine Son", was the title of the monarchs of [[Tibetan Empire|Tibet]].
**'''[[Chanyu]]''', short for '''Chengli Gutu Chanyu''' (撐犁孤塗單于) was a title used by supreme nomadic rulers of Inner Asia. Meaning "Son of Heaven, Ruler of the North", it was later superseded by the title '''[[Khagan]]'''.
**'''[[Rí]]''', [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]] title meaning '''king''', of which there were several grades, the highest being '''[[Ard Rí]]''' (high king). Cognate with Indian ''Raja'', Latin ''Rex'', and ancient Gaulish ''Rix''.
**Arasan (அரசன்), Vēndhar (வேந்தர்), Kō (கோ) are the various titles referring to the King in Tamil.
**'''[[Raja]]''', Sanskrit, later [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], for "king". Cognate with Latin ''Rex'', Irish ''Rí'', Armenian ''Arqa'', etc. The female equivalent is '''[[Rani]]'''. The Filipino feminine equivalent is '''Hara'''.
***'''[[Devaraja]]''', literally "god king". A title in the [[Khmer Empire]] and throughout [[Java]]
***'''Raya''', a regional variation of '''Raja'''.
***'''Devaraya''', literally "god king", used by the [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagara]] monarchs<ref>{{Cite book |last=Menon |first=Indira |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ym17YA_jhCgC&pg=PT4 |page=14|title=Rhythms in Stone: The Temples of South India |date=2013 |publisher=Ambi Knowledge Resource |isbn=978-81-903591-3-9 |language=en}}</ref>
***'''[[Rai (title)|Rai]]''', a regional variation of '''Raja'''.
***[[Rao (title)|'''Rao''']], a regional variation of '''Raja'''.
***'''[[Rana (title)|Rana]]''', a regional variation of '''Raja'''.
***'''[[Rawal (title)|Rawal]]''', a regional variation of '''Raja'''.
***'''Racha / Rachini''' written in [[Thai language|'''Thai''']] as ราชา or ราชินี. deriving from the sanskrit राज (''rāja'', “king”). King is ราชา (Racha), Queen is ราชินี (Rachini). Typically refer to the person, not necessary a title.
**'''Khosi''' a king in Lesotho, Botswana and other Sotho speaking communities. 
**'''Kamonteng Ansi''' (กมรเตงอัญศรี) deriving from Old Khmer, used for [[Sukhothai Kingdom|Sukhothai]] kings. Meaning: "Lord of Our Lives." Used for king '''''Kamonteng Ansi'' [[Si Inthrathit|Inthrabodinthrathit]]''', and '''''Phrabat Kamonteng Ansi'' [[Ram Khamhaeng|Rammarat]]'''. In which, following the latter's reign, the title became defunct
**'''Khun''' (ขุน) an archaic '''[[Thai language|Thai]]''' term referring to a leader.
***'''Pho Khun''' (พ่อขุน) derivation of '''Khun'''. Used during the Sukhothai kingdom era. An example is '''''Pho Khun'' [[Ban Mueang]]'''
***'''Khun Luang''' (ขุนหลวง) derivation of '''Khun'''. Used during the Ayutthaya kingdom era. This title is not used with names, only to refer to the person only. For example, to refer to the King. One says Khun Luang, never Khun Luang Ekkathat. If one wishes to refer to a king, one must either say the regnant name: '''''Somdet Phra'' [[Ekkathat|Borommaracha III]]''' or a personal (formal) name: '''''Somdet Phra Chao'' [[Ekkathat]]'''.
**'''Chao''' (เจ้า) means Lord or Master.
***'''Phra Chao''' (พระเจ้า) informal version of '''Somdet Phra Chao.''' A derivation of '''Chao'''.
***'''Somdet Phra Chao''' (สมเด็จพระเจ้า) a derivation of '''Chao'''.
***'''Chao Fa''' (เจ้าฟ้า) a generally use title for chieftain, lord, and kings among the Tai people. This is also used for personal names of Thai Kings. A derivation of '''Chao'''. Though in modern Thailand, this might be refer to a prince or princess.
***'''Sao Möm''', a derivatiom of '''Chao''' used among Tai peoples in the Shan State.
***'''Sao''', a derivatiom of '''Chao''' used among Tai peoples in the Shan State.
**'''Nai Luang''' (ในหลวง) informally referring to a king, the King of Thailand.
**'''Phraya''' (พระยา) an archaic title referring to a Thai King. This was used during the Sukhothai era. Later on during the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom|Ayutthaya]], [[Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)|Rattanakosin]]/Siam, and [[Thailand]] era, this was used to refer to a duke instead of a king.
**[[Great king|'''Great King''']], a royal title suggesting an elevated status among the host of kings.
**[[High king|'''High King''']], a king who holds a position of [[seniority]] over a group of other kings, without the title of emperor.
**'''[[Maharaja]]''', Sanskrit, later [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]], for "'''Great King'''". It is the title of high kings in the [[Indian subcontinent]]. The feminine equivalent is '''Maharani'''.
***'''[[Maharao]]''', a regional variation of '''Maharaja'''.
***'''Maharawal''', a regional variation of '''Maharaja'''.
***'''[[Maharana]]''', a regional variation of '''Maharaja'''.
**'''[[Mepe]]''', მეფე, Georgian word for king and queen regnant.
**'''[[Eze]]''', the [[Igbo language|Igbo]] word for the King or Ruler of a kingdom or [[city-state]]. It is cognate with Obi and Igwe.
**'''[[Oba (king)|Oba]]''', the [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]] word for King or Ruler of a kingdom or city-state. It is used across all the traditional Yoruba lands, as well as by the Edo, throughout Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
*** '''[[Alaafin]]''', or "Man of the Palace" in the Yoruba language, was the title of the ruler of the medieval [[Oyo Empire]] in northwestern [[Yorubaland]]. He is considered the supreme overlord of the empire and expected to keep tributaries safe from attack as well as mediate disputes between various kings (Obas) and their people within the Empire.
**'''[[Kabaka of Buganda|Kabaka]]''', ruler of [[Kingdom of Buganda|Buganda]], a realm within Uganda in East Africa.
** '''[[Omukama of Bunyoro|Omukama]]''' is a title associated with the [[Bunyoro|Bunyoro-Kitara]] in [[Uganda]]. It is also the title of the [[Omukama of Toro]].
**'''[[Shah]]''', [[Persian language|Persian]] word for king, from Indo-European for "he who rules". Used in Persia, alongside '''[[Shahanshah]]'''. The feminine form is '''[[Shahbanu]]'''
**'''[[Boqor]]''', [[Somalis|Somali]] for King. However, in practice, it is the [[primus inter pares]] or "King of Kings". The title is etymologically derived from one of the Afro-Asiatic Somali language terms for "belt", in recognition of the official's unifying role within the greater society. Furthermore, Boqor is linguistically related to the style ''Paqar'', which was employed by rulers in the early Nile Valley state of '''[[Meroe]]'''.
**'''[[Sultan]]''', from Arabic and originally referring to one who had "power", more recently used as synonym for a king. The feminine equivalent is a '''[[Sultana (title)|Sultana]]'''.
*** '''[[Suratrana]]''', Sanskrit for Sultan
**'''[[Khan (title)|Khan]]''', from the [[Turco-Mongol]] word for "ruler" or "king". The feminine equivalent is a '''[[Khanum]]'''. A Khan's realm is called a Khanate.
*** '''{{ill|Maripgan|ko|마립간}}''' (마립간; 麻立干), literally "highest khan", a Korean title for the rulers of early [[Silla]]<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Lee |first1=Soyoung |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mpanKmU_ckYC&pg=PA32 |page=32|title=Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom |last2=Leidy |first2=Denise Patry |date=2013 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |isbn=978-1-58839-502-3 |language=en}}</ref>
*** '''[[Bogda Khan]]''', one of the titles for the [[Qing emperors]]
**'''[[Malik]]''', Arabic for "king". The feminine equivalent is a '''Malika'''.
**[[King of Rwanda|'''Mwami''']] in [[Kingdom of Rwanda|Rwanda]] and neighbouring regions in the Congo. The female counterpart is '''Mwamikazi'''.
**'''[[Almami|Almamy]]''', King of [[Imamate of Futa Toro|Futa Toro]], a pre-colonial kingdom of the [[Toucouleur people]]. From the old [[Pulaar language|Pulaar]] title ''"Almamy"'' (king).
**'''[[Maad a Sinig]]''', King of [[Kingdom of Sine|Sine]], a pre-colonial kingdom of the [[Serer people]]. From the old Serer title ''"Maad"'' (king).
**'''[[Maad Saloum]]''', ruler of [[Kingdom of Saloum|Saloum]], a pre-colonial kingdom of the Serer people.
**'''[[Negus]]''', Ethiopian for king.
**'''[[Susuhunan]]''', "he to whom homage is paid", title of the Javanese monarch of the [[Surakarta Sunanate]].
**'''[[Teigne (title)|Teigne]]''', ruler of [[Baol]], previously a pre-colonial Serer kingdom.
**'''[[Tlatoani|Tlahtloāni]]''', the [[Classical Nahuatl]] term for the ruler of an {{lang|nci|[[altepetl|āltepētl]]}}, a [[pre-Hispanic]] city-state in [[Mesoamerica]], variously translated in English as "king," "ruler," (or [[Speaker (politics)|"speaker" in the political sense]]). A ''{{Lang|nci|siwātlahtoāni}}'' is a female ruler, or [[queen regnant]].<ref>Schroeder (2007, pp.3–4). See also the entry for [http://sites.estvideo.net/malinal/c/nahuatlCIHUAQ.html#CIHUATLAHTOANI "CIHUATLAHTOANI"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608090444/http://sites.estvideo.net/malinal/c/nahuatlCIHUAQ.html#CIHUATLAHTOANI|date=2007-06-08}} in Wimmer (2006).</ref>
**'''[[Lugal]]''', is the [[Sumerian language|Sumerian]] term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man."<ref name="Crawford2013">{{cite book |author=Harriet Crawford|author-link=Harriet Crawford|title=The Sumerian World |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=qSOYAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA283 |date=29 August 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-21912-2 |page = 283 }}</ref>
** '''[[Anax]]''', from Mycenaean ''wanax'' for "high king". Outranked ''Basileus'' in Mycenaean usage.
** '''[[Pharaoh]]''', ''"Man of the Great House (Palace)"'' used in [[Ancient Egypt]] to denote the kings of [[Upper Egypt]] and [[Lower Egypt]] in the [[Nile]] [[river valley]].
**'''[[Faama]]''', title of the rulers of the [[pre-imperial Mali]], meaning "king".
**'''[[Mansa (title)|Mansa]]''', title of the rulers of the [[Mali Empire]]
**'''[[Omanhene]]''' or '''Ohene''', an Akan title meaning ''King of the Nation'', with Ohene simply meaning ''King''. '''Ohemaa''', the maternal counterpart (his mother, sister, aunt (''referred to as a 2nd mother''), cousin (''referred to as sister'')), has equal power and selects which son she wants to lead the people. The Akan king rules on behalf of his mother who is the true power of the land. If the Ohemaa doesn't select any male relative to lead on her behalf, then she can take the role as King or Omanhene.
** '''Mwenematapa''', title of the rulers of the [[Kingdom of Mutapa]]. It means "Prince of the Realm" in Shona. Also spelled '''Mwene Mutapa''' or in Portuguese transliteration '''Monomotapa'''.
** '''[[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]]''', the official title of the [[Malaysia]]n head of state, and means "He who is Made Supreme Lord" and is generally glossed in English as "king". The officeholder is elected from among the heads of the nine royal states.
**'''[[Lamane]]''', ''"master of the land"'' or ''"chief owner of the soil"'' in old [[Serer language]] were the ancient hereditary kings and [[landed gentry]] of the [[Serer people]] found in [[Senegal]], the [[Gambia]] and [[Mauritania]]. The Lamanes were guardians of [[Serer religion]] and many of them have been canonized as Holy Saints (''Pangool'').
** '''[[List of rulers of Asante|Otumfuo]]''', literally "the powerful one", an [[Akan people|Akan]] title to mean a king. It is thought to originate with the Akan state of [[Akwamu]]. It is still used amongst the Akwamu and now the [[Asante people|Asante]] people.
** '''Qhapaq''', written as '''Capac''' in Spanish texts, the Inca word for "king"<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Rowe |first1=Ann Pollard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kb141n8C8LcC&pg=PA70 |title=Costume and History in Highland Ecuador |last2=Meisch |first2=Lynn A. |date=2012-10-03 |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=978-0-292-74985-6 |pages=70 |language=en}}</ref>

===Princely, ducal, and other sovereign titles===
* '''[[Grand vizier|Grand Vizier]]''' was the title of the effective head of government ([[prime-minister]]) of many sovereign states in the [[Muslim world]]. The office of Grand Vizier was first held by officials in the later [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. It was then held in the [[Ottoman Empire]], the [[Mughal Empire]], the [[Sokoto Caliphate]], the [[Safavid Empire]] and [[Morocco]]. In the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Vizier held the imperial seal and could convene all other viziers (ministers) to attend to affairs of the state; the viziers in conference were called "Kubbealtı viziers" in reference to their meeting place, the Kubbealtı ('under the dome') in [[Topkapı Palace]]. His offices were located at the [[Sublime Porte]]. Today, the [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]] is referred to in Urdu as Wazir-e-azam, which translates literally to Grand Vizier
* '''[[Khedivate|Khedive]]''' (/kəˈdiːv/, Ottoman Turkish: خدیو, romanized: hıdiv; Arabic: خديوي, romanized: khudaywī) was an honorific title of Persian origin used for the sultans and grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, but most famously for the [[viceroy]] of Egypt from 1805 to 1914.
* '''Sovereign [[Duke]]''', from the Latin ''[[Dux]]'', meaning "leader," a military rank in the [[Dominate|Late Roman Empire]]. Variant forms include '''[[Doge (title)|Doge]]''' and '''[[Duce]]'''; it has also been modified into '''[[Archduke]]''' (meaning "chief" Duke), '''[[Grand Duke]]''' (literally "large", or "big" Duke; see above under royal titles), '''Vice Duke''' ("deputy" Duke), etc. The female equivalent is '''Duchess'''.
**'''[[Grand Duke]]''' is considered to be part of the reigning nobility ("Royalty", in German ''Hochadel''; their correct form of address is "Royal Highness").<ref>Meyers Taschenlexikon Geschichte 1982, vol 1, p21-22</ref> The feminine form is '''Grand Duchess'''
*** '''Veliki Vojvoda''', derived from [[Voievod]]. The title of the [[Bosnian Grand Duke]] ({{langx|sh|veliki vojvoda rusaga bosanskog}},<ref name="Kurtović-2009-Sandalj">{{cite book |author1=Esad Kurtović |url=http://www.cidom.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Esad-Kurtovi%C4%87-Veliki-vojvoda-bosanski-Sandalj-Hrani%C4%87-Kosa%C4%8Da.pdf |title=Veliki vojvoda bosanski Sandalj Hranić Kosača |date=2009 |publisher=Institut za istoriju |isbn=978-9958-649-01-1 |edition=Book 4 of Historijske monografije |location=Sarajevo |pages=159, 233, 409 |language=bs |author1-link=Esad Kurtović |access-date=4 March 2021}}</ref> {{langx|la|Bosne supremus voivoda / Sicut supremus voivoda regni Bosniae}}) appeared at the beginning of the 14th century as different type of this title, unique for the [[Bosnian medieval state]].<ref name="hrcak.srce.hr-Sulejmanagić-2012-Novac Hrvoja Vukčića-pp.54–85">{{cite journal |last1=Sulejmanagić |first1=Amer |date=30 November 2012 |title=Novac Hrvoja Vukčića Hrvatinića |trans-title=Coins minted by Duke Hrvoja Vukčića Hrvatinića |url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=280466 |journal=Numizmatičke Vijesti |language=sh |volume=54 |issue=65 |pages=54–85 |issn=0546-9422 |access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref><ref name="Thalloczy-Jagić-Wickhoff-1899-Missale">{{cite web |author1=Vatroslav Jagić |author2=Lajos Thalloczy |author3=Franz Wickhoff |date=1899 |title=Missale Glagoliticum Hervoiae ducis Spalatensis |url=https://archive.org/stream/missaleglagolit00unkngoog/missaleglagolit00unkngoog_djvu.txt |access-date=10 May 2020 |website=archive.org |language=Latin |authorlink1=Vatroslav Jagić |authorlink2=Lajos Thalloczy |authorlink3=Franz Wickhoff}}</ref> It was a court title, bestowed by the monarch to the highest military commander, usually reserved for the most influential and most capable among the highest Bosnian nobility.<ref name="Miller-Essays-Latin-Orient">{{cite book |last1=Miller |first1=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0wpEBgAAQBAJ&q=At+this+time+Hrvoje%2C+Grand+Duke+of+Bosnia&pg=PA481 |title=Essays on the Latin Orient |date=2014 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781107455535 |page=481 |language=en |access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="Grand+Duke-search-google-book-by-F.R.Preveden">{{cite book |last1=Preveden |first1=Francis Ralph |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1KJnAAAAMAAJ&q=Grand+Duke |title=A history of the Croatian people from their arrival on the shores of the Adriatic to the present day: with some account of the Gothic, Roman, Greek, Illyrian, and prehistoric periods of the ancient Illyricum and Pannonia |date=1962 |publisher=Philosophical Library |pages=98,99,100 |language=en |access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="Grand-Duke-Poetics-Slavdom-Zlatar">{{cite book |last1=Zlatar |first1=Zdenko |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ltRWy32dG7oC&q=Grand+Duke+of+Bosnia&pg=PA544 |title=The Poetics of Slavdom: The Mythopoeic Foundations of Yugoslavia |date=2007 |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=9780820481357 |page=544 |language=en |access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref><ref name="Grand-Duke-Hval Codex-Cvetković-hrcak.srce.hr">{{cite journal |last1=Cvetković |first1=Branislav |date=19 December 2014 |title=The Header to the Ten Commandments in the Hval Codex: a Contribution to the Semantics of Medieval Illumination |url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?id_clanak_jezik=193125&show=clanak |journal=Ars Adriatica |language=hr, en |publisher=hrcak.srce.hr |issue=4 |pages=155–172 |doi=10.15291/ars.493 |access-date=16 February 2019 |doi-access=free}}</ref> To interpret it as an office post rather than a court rank could be equally accurate, and although it was retained for life by a nobleman who gained it, it was not meant to be hereditary, at least not at first. However, in the last several decades of the Bosnian medieval state it became hereditary, which means it became more than just an office or a court rank.<ref name="Kurtovic">{{cite book |last1=Kurtović |first1=Esad |url=http://www.iis.unsa.ba/pdf/kurtovic_sandalj_hranic_kosaca.pdf |title=Veliki vojvoda bosanski Sandalj Hranić Kosača |date=2009 |publisher=Institut za istoriju Sarajevo |isbn=978-9958-649-01-1 |edition=Historijske monografije; knj. 4 |language=Bosnian |format=.pdf |access-date=10 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305184319/http://www.iis.unsa.ba/pdf/kurtovic_sandalj_hranic_kosaca.pdf |archive-date=5 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Fine">{{cite book |last1=Fine |first1=John Van Antwerp |title=The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest |date=1994 |publisher=University of Michigan Press}}</ref>
*** '''Didysis Kunigaikštis''', derived from kunigaikštis which itself is a derivative of kunigas (King). It was the title used in the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]], also translated as "Grand Prince".
*** '''[[Archduke]]''', ruler of an archduchy; used exclusively by the [[Habsburg]] dynasty and its junior branch of [[Habsburg-Lorraine]] which ruled the [[Holy Roman Empire]] (until 1806), the [[Austrian Empire]] (1804–1867), the [[Second Mexican Empire]] (1863-1867) and the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] (1867–1918) for imperial family members of the dynasty, each retaining it as a subsidiary title when founding sovereign [[cadet branch]]es by acquiring thrones under different titles (e.g., [[Grand Duke of Tuscany|Tuscany]], [[Duke of Modena|Modena]]); it was also used for those ruling some Habsburg territories such as those that became the modern so-called "Benelux" nations (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg); The title was created [[Privilegium Maius|by forgery]] in 1358 by the Habsburgs themselves to establish a precedence of their princes over the other titleholders of high nobility of the era; therefore the rank was not recognized by the other ruling dynasties until 1453.<ref>Meyers Taschenlexikon Geschichte 1982, vol 2, p. 106.</ref> The feminine form is '''Archduchess.'''
** '''[[Doge (title)|Doge]]''', elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states
** '''[[Ealdorman]]''', [[Old English]] for "elder man", rendered ''Dux'' in Latin.
* '''[[Sovereign Prince]]''', from the Latin ''princeps'', meaning "one who takes first [place]". The feminine form is '''Sovereign Princess.''' Variant forms include the German ''[[Fürst]]'' and Russian ''[[Knyaz]] (князь)'' and the feminine form ''[[Knyaginya]] (княгиня)''.{{efn|"Prince"}}
** '''[[Grand Prince]]''' or '''Great Prince''' (feminine: '''Grand Princess''' or '''Great Princess''') (Latin: [[Magnus Princeps]]; Swedish: [[Storfurste]]; German: [[Großfürst]]; Greek: Μέγας Αρχών, romanized: [[Megas archon]], is a title of nobility ranked in honour below [[Emperor]], equal to [[Archduke]], [[King]], [[Grand Duke]] and [[Prince-Archbishop]]; above a [[Sovereign Prince]] and [[Duke]].
*** '''Velikiy knyaz''' (великий князь), ruler of a grand principality; a title primarily used in the medieval Russian principalities and claimed by the most important ruling prince, e.g. the ruler of the [[Grand Principality of Vladimir]];<ref>{{cite book |last1=Feldbrugge |first1=Ferdinand J. M. |title=A History of Russian Law: From Ancient Times to the Council Code (Ulozhenie) of Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich of 1649 |date=2 October 2017 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-35214-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TDI9DwAAQBAJ |language=en |page=1029}}</ref>
** [[prince-elector|'''Elector Prince''']] (''Kurfürst'' in German), a rank for those who voted for the [[Holy Roman Emperor]], usually sovereign of a state (e.g. the Margrave of Brandenburg, an elector, called the ''Elector of Brandenburg'')
**'''[[Datu]]''' in the [[Visayas]] and [[Mindanao]] which, together with the term '''[[Raja]]''' ( in the [[Rajahnate of Cebu]] and [[Kingdom of Maynila]]) and '''[[Lakan]]''' (title widely used on the island of [[Luzon]]), are the [[Filipino language|Filipino]] equivalents of "sovereign prince" and thus, glossed as "ruler". The female equivalent is a '''Dayang'''. (Cf. also '''[[Principalía]]''' – the hispanized and Christianized [[Datu]] class during the Spanish colonial period in the [[Philippines]].)<ref>''Esta institucion (Cabecería de Barangay), mucho más antigua que la sujecion de las islas al Gobierno, ha merecido siempre las mayores atencion. En un principio eran las cabecerías hereditarias, y constituian la verdadera hidalguía del país; mas del dia, si bien en algunas provincias todavía se tramiten por sucesion hereditaria, las hay tambien eleccion, particularmente en las provincias más inmediatas á Manila, en donde han perdido su prestigio y son una verdadera carga. En las provincias distantes todavía se hacen respetar, y allí es precisamente en donde la autoridad tiene ménos que hacer, y el órden se conserva sin necesidad de medidas coercitivas; porque todavía existe en ellas el gobierno patriarcal, por el gran respeto que la plebe conserva aún á lo que llaman aquí '''principalía'''. (Translation: ''This institution (Cabecera de Barangay), much older than the fastening of the islands to the Government, has always deserved the most attention. In the beginning, they were the hereditary heads, and they constituted the true chivalry of the country; but of the day, although in some provinces they are still transacted by hereditary succession, there are also elections, particularly in the provinces closest to Manila, where they have lost their prestige and are a real burden. In the distant provinces they are still enforced, and that is precisely where authority has less to do, and the order is preserved without the need for coercive measures; because the patriarchal government still exists in them, because of the great respect that the plebs still retain for what they call here principalía.FERRANDO''.)  ''FERRANDO, Fr Juan & FONSECA OSA, Fr Joaquin (1870–1872). Historia de los PP. Dominicos en las Islas Filipinas y en las Misiones del Japon, China, Tung-kin y Formosa (Vol. 1 of 6 vols) (in Spanish). Madrid: Imprenta y esteriotipia de M Rivadeneyra. OCLC 9362749.</ref><ref>''L'institution des chefs de barangay a été empruntée aux Indiens chez qui on la trouvée établie lors de la conquête des Philippines; ils formaient, à cette époque une espèce de noblesse héréditaire. L'hérédité leur a été conservée aujourd hui: quand une de ces places devient vacante, la nomination du successeur est faite par le surintendant des finances dans les pueblos qui environment la capitale, et, dans les provinces éloignées, par l'alcalde, sur la proposition du gobernadorcillo et la présentation des autres membres du barangay; il en est de même pour les nouvelles créations que nécessite de temps à autre l'augmentation de la population. Le cabeza, sa femme et l'aîné de ses enfants sont exempts du tributo.'' MALLAT de BASSILAU, Jean (1846). Les Philippines: Histoire, géographie, moeurs. Agriculture, industrie et commerce des Colonies espagnoles dans l'Océanie (2 vols) (in French). Paris: Arthus Bertrand Éd. {{ISBN|978-1143901140}}. OCLC 23424678, p. 356.</ref>
*'''[[Nizam (title)|Nizam]]''', The word is derived from the Arabic language Nizām (نظام), meaning order, arrangement. Nizām-ul-mulk was a title first used in [[Urdu]] around 1600 to mean Governor of the realm or Deputy for the Whole Empire.
*'''[[Despot (court title)|Despot]]''', Greek for "lord, master", initially an appellation for the Byzantine emperor, later the senior court title, awarded to sons and close relatives of the emperor. In the 13th–15th centuries borne by autonomous and independent rulers in the [[Balkans]]. The feminine form is '''Despotess'''.
*'''Voievod şi domn''', title held by the sovereign princes of [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]]. [[Voivode|Voievod]] (from Slavic) means in this context supreme military commander while [[Domnitor|Domn]] (from lat. ''[[Dominus (title)|dominus]])'' means master, lord, autocrat. The "civilian" title of ''domn'' holds a kind of primacy. The office/authority is called "domnie" (roughly "lordship") rather than voievodship (as is the case of similar named but lesser Slavic titles). The prince is called upon as "doamne" ("mylord")''.'' 
*'''Tuanku''', literally "My Master" (Tuan Ku), the title of the rulers of the nine Royal states of [[Malaysia]]; all princes and princesses of the Royal Families also receive the appellation '''[[Tunku]]''' (literally "My Lord" (Tun Ku) or spelt '''[[Tengku]]''') or '''[[Raja]]'''.
*'''[[Shogun]]''', officially '''Sei-i Taishōgun''' (Commander-in Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians), the Japanese word for [[generalissimo]], who acted as the [[de facto]] military [[dictators]] of Japan of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868.
* '''[[Emir]]''', often rendered ''Amir'' in older English usage; from the Arabic "to command." The female form is '''Emira''' (Amirah). Emir is the root of the naval rank "[[Admiral]]". Is is usually translated as prince in English. 
** '''[[Amir al-umara]]''', Emir of Emirs.
* '''[[Mir (title)|Mir]]''': According to the book [[Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments]], ''Mir'' is most probably an Arabized form of ''Pir''. [[Pir (Sufism)|''Pir'']] in [[Old Persian]] and [[Sanskrit]] means the old, the wise man, the chief and the great leader. It was Arabized as Mir then, with ''Al''(A) ([[Arabic definite article]]), it was pronounced as Amir. 
**In the [[Ottoman Empire]], ''Mir-i Miran'' was used as the Persian equivalent to the Turkish title ''[[Beylerbey]]'' ("Bey of Beys"), alongside the Arabic equivalent ''[[Amir al-Umara]]'' ("Emir of Emirs").<ref name="EI2">Zetterstéen (1986), p. 446</ref>
* '''[[Bey]]''', or [[Baig|'''Beg/Baig''']], Turkish for "Chieftain." The feminine form is '''[[Begum]].'''
** '''[[Beylerbey]]''', Bey of Beys.
** '''[[Atabeg]]''', word is a compound of two Turkic words: ata, "ancestor", and beg or bey, "lord, leader, prince".
** '''[[Beg Khan]]''', concatenation of Baig and Khan.
** '''[[Khagan Bek]]''', title used by [[Khazars]].
** '''[[Derebey]]''', [[feudalism|feudal]] lord in [[Anatolia]] and the [[Black Sea|Pontic]] areas of [[Lazistan]] and [[Adjara|Acara]] in the 18th century.
* '''[[Dey]]''', title given to the rulers of the [[Regency of Algiers]] and [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] under the Ottoman Empire from 1671 onwards.
* '''[[Sardar]]''', also spelled as '''Sirdar''', '''Sardaar''' or '''Serdar''', is a title of nobility (''sir-'', ''sar/sair-'' means "head or authority" and ''-dār'' means "holder" in [[Sanskrit]] and [[Avestan language|Avestan]]). The feminine form is '''Sardarni'''.
* '''[[Pati (title)|Pati]]''', Sanskrit for "lord, master"
** '''[[Chhatrapati]]''', title of the rulers of the [[Marathas]]

===Tribal titles===

*'''[[Chieftain]]''', a Lineage or Clan chief. the feminine form is '''Chieftainess'''.
*'''[[Sheikh]]''' is often used as a title for Arab royal families. It commonly designates a tribal chief, royal family member or a Muslim [[Ulama|scholar]]. The feminine form is '''Shaykhah''.'''''
* '''[[Tadodaho]]''', derived from the name of the first "keeper of the council fire" of the '''[[Iroquois Confederacy]]''', '''[[Haudenosaunee]]''', or '''[[Iroquois|Five Nations]]''', refers to the individual with the highest authority in both their modern territory and their spiritual way of life.
* '''[[Taoiseach]]''' ({{IPA|ga|ˈt̪ˠiːʃəx}}) means leader. An Irish [[Irish clans|clan]] chief. Since 1937, this has been the title for the elected [[prime minister of Ireland]], in both Irish and English.
* '''[[Tánaiste]]''' ({{IPA|ga|ˈt̪ˠaːn̪ˠəʃtʲə}}) is the second in command of an Irish clan. Since 1937, this has been the title in both Irish and English for the deputy head of the Irish government, nominated by the serving Taoiseach to act in that role during the Taoiseach's temporary absence.
* '''[[Tòiseach]]''', the Scottish Gaelic for clan chief.
* '''[[Tywysog]]''' ({{IPA|cy|təˈwəsɔɡ}}), in modern [[Welsh language|Welsh]], means "[[Prince]]" and is cognate with Taoiseach and Tòiseach. Derived from the proto-Celtic *''[[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/towissākos|towissākos]]'' "chieftain, leader".
* '''[[Rí ruirech]]''', "king of over-kings", or ''rí cóicid'', a provincial King in Ireland.
* '''Corono''', leader of a large tribe in Celtic [[Gallaecia]]. In later Latin inscriptions, they would sometimes be referred to as ''Princeps''.<ref>Pena Granha, A. (2007): "Galicia, cuna de los celtas de la Europa Atlántica", in Anuario Brigantino, no. 30, pp. 57-88.</ref>
* '''[[Fon (title)|Fon]]''', the regional and tribal leaders in Cameroon.
* '''Odikro''', an Akan chieftain. ''Obahemaa'' female maternal counterpart.
*'''[[Cacique]]''', derived from the [[Taíno language|Taíno]] word '''kasike''', for [[pre-Colombian]] monarchs.
*'''[[Lonko]]''', chief of several [[Mapuche]] communities.
*'''[[Ratu]]''', A [[Fiji]]an chiefly title that is also found in Javanese culture.
* '''[[Ali'i|Aliʻi nui]]''', was the supreme monarch of various [[Hawaiian islands]]. They are the supreme high chiefs (chief of chiefs). This title would later be used by rulers of the entire Hawaiian chain of islands.
*'''[[Ajaw]]''', In Maya meaning "lord", "ruler", "king" or "leader". Was the title of the ruler in the Classic Maya polity. A variant being the title of K'inich Ajaw or "Great Sun King" as it was used to refer to the founder of the [[Copán]] dynasty, [[K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo']]. The female equivalent is a '''Ix-ajaw'''.
** '''Kaloomte'''', In Maya meaning "[[high king]]" or "emperor".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bassie-Sweet |first=Karen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oMIsEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA4 |title=Maya Gods of War |date=2021-06-01 |publisher=University Press of Colorado |isbn=978-1-64642-132-9 |language=en|page=4}}</ref>
*'''[[Halach Uinik]]''', In Maya meaning "real man", "person of fact" or "person of command". Was the title of the ruler in the Post-Classic Maya polity ([[Kuchkabal]]).

===Religious titles===

* '''[[Pope]]''', also "'''[[Supreme Pontiff]]''' of the [[Roman Catholic Church|Universal Church]] and [[Vicar]] of [[Christ (title)|Christ]]", is considered the [[Apostolic succession|apostolic successor]] of [[Saint Peter]], one of the [[Twelve Apostles]] (primary [[Disciple (Christianity)|disciples]]) of [[Jesus Christ]]. Once wielding substantial secular power as the ruler of the [[Papal States]] and leader of [[Christendom]], the Pope is also the [[absolute ruler]] of the sovereign state [[Vatican City]]. Also the title of the leader of the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic Church]], considered to be the successor of the Apostle [[Mark the Evangelist|Saint Mark the Evangelist]]. The word ''pope'' is derived from Latin and Italian ''papa'', a familiar form of "[[father]]".
** '''[[Pontifex maximus]]''', formerly one of the titles of the Roman emperors
* '''[[Catholicos of All Armenians|Catholicos]]''' is the Chief Bishop, Patriarch of the [[Armenian Orthodox Church]]. The earliest ecclesiastical use of the title Catholicos was by the Bishop of Armenia, head of the Armenian Orthodox Apostolic Church, in the 4th century.
*'''[[Patriarch]]''' is the highest ecclesial title used in the [[Eastern Christian]] tradition. Some patriarchs are also styled as popes. 
* '''[[Caliph]]''' means 'successor' (to [[Muhammad]]), both a religious and a secular leader. The ruler of the [[caliphate]] was the secular head of the international Muslim community, as a nation. To claim the Caliphate was, theoretically, to claim stewardship over Muslims on earth, under the [[sovereignty]] of [[Allah]]. (See ''Amir al-Mu'minin'' above). This did not necessarily mean that the Caliph was himself the supreme authority on [[Islamic law]] or theology; that still fell to the ''[[Ulema]]''. The role of the Caliph was to oversee and take responsibility for the Muslim community's political and governmental needs (both within and beyond the borders of his territorial realm), rather than to himself determine matters of [[doctrine]].
** '''[[Amir al-Mu'minin]]''', or "Commander ([[Emir]]) of the Faithful," a title traditionally held by the [[Caliphs]] of [[Islam]] to denote their suzerainty over all Muslims, even (theoretically) those beyond their territorial borders. Currently, the [[King of Morocco]] and the [[Sultan of Sokoto]] hold this title, although neither officially claims the [[Caliphate]].
* '''[[Imam]]''', Imam (/ɪˈmɑːm/; Arabic: إمام imām; plural: أئمة aʼimmah) is an Islamic leadership position. For [[Sunni Muslims]], Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a [[mosque]]. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve as community leaders, and provide religious guidance. Thus for Sunnis, anyone can study the basic Islamic sciences and become an Imam 
* '''[[Dalai Lama]]''', the highest authority in Tibetan (or more specifically [[Gelug]]) Buddhism and a symbol of the unification of [[Tibet]], said to belong to a line of [[reincarnations]] of the [[bodhisattva]] [[Avalokitesvara]]. Among other incarnate Tibetan lamas, the second highest Gelug prelate is the '''[[Panchen Lama]]'''. From the time of the [[Fifth Dalai Lama]] until 1950, the Dalai Lamas effectively ruled Tibet. The chief of the rival [[Kagyu]] school of Tibetan Buddhism is the '''[[Karmapa]]'''.
* '''[[Saltigue]]''', the [[high priest]]s and priestesses of the [[Serer people]]. They are the [[diviners]] in the [[Serer religion]].
* '''[[Jathedar]]''', a title of a [[Sikhism|Sikh]] general, commander, the leader of a [[Jatha]] or [[Panj Takht|Takht]], literally means "holder of troops". The feminine form is '''Jathedarni'''.

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

==Other sovereigns, royalty, peers, and major nobility==
{{Main|Royal family|Peerage|Nobility|Imperial immediacy}}

Several ranks were widely used (for more than a thousand years in Europe alone) for both sovereign rulers and non-sovereigns. Additional knowledge about the territory and historic period is required to know whether the rank holder was a sovereign or non-sovereign. However, joint precedence among rank holders often greatly depended on whether a rank holder was sovereign, whether of the same rank or not. This situation was most widely exemplified by the [[Holy Roman Empire]] (HRE) in Europe. Several of the following ranks were commonly both sovereign and non-sovereign within the HRE. Outside of the HRE, the most common sovereign rank of these below was that of Prince. Within the HRE, those holding the following ranks who were also sovereigns had (enjoyed) what was known as an ''[[Imperial immediacy|immediate]]'' relationship with the Emperor. Those holding non-sovereign ranks held only a ''mediate'' relationship (meaning that the civil hierarchy upwards was mediated by one or more intermediaries between the rank holder and the Emperor).

===Titles===

* '''[[Prince]]''' (''Prinz'' in German), junior members of a royal, grand ducal, ruling ducal or princely, or mediatised family. The title of ''[[Fürst]]'' was usually reserved, from the 19th century, for rulers of principalities—the smallest sovereign entities (e.g., Liechtenstein, Lippe, Schwarzburg, Waldeck-and-Pyrmont)—and for heads of high-ranking, noble but non-ruling families (Bismarck, Clary und Aldringen, Dietrichstein, Henckel von Donnersmarck, Kinsky, Paar, Pless, Thun und Hohenstein, etc.). Cadets of these latter families were generally not allowed to use ''Prinz'', being accorded only the style of count (''[[Graf]]'') or, occasionally, that of ''Fürst'' (Wrede, [[House of Urach|Urach]]) even though it was also a ruling title. Exceptional use of ''Prinz'' was permitted for some [[morganatic marriage|morganatic]] families (e.g., [[Battenberg family|Battenberg]], Montenuovo) and a few others (Carolath-Beuthen, Biron von Kurland). Prince is also used as the highest, non-royal title of nobility in instances such as that of [[Prince Bernadotte]] where Swedish royal princes lost those titles due to unapproved marriages. The feminine form is '''[[Princess]]'''.
** In particular, '''[[Crown prince|Crown Prince]]''' (''Kronprinz'' in German) was reserved for the [[heir apparent]] of an emperor or king. The feminine form is '''Crown Princess'''.
** '''[[Grand Prince]]''' (''Velikiy knyaz''), ruler of a grand principality; a title primarily used in the medieval Russian principalities and claimed by the most important ruling prince; It was also used by the [[Romanov]]s of the [[Russian Empire]] for members of the imperial family. The feminine form is '''Grand Princess'''.
** [[Great prince|'''Great Prince''']], a variation of Grand Prince, the feminine form is '''Great Princess'''.
** '''[[Ban (title)|Ban]]''', noble title used in several states in both [[Central Europe]] and [[Southeastern Europe]] between the 7th century and the 20th century.
** '''[[Dauphin of France|Dauphin]]''', title of the heir apparent of the royal family of [[Kingdom of France|France]], as he was the ''[[de jure]]'' ruler of the ''[[Dauphiné]]'' province in today's southeastern France (under the authority of the King)
** '''[[Infante]]''', title of the cadet members of the royal families of [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]] and [[Spain]]. The feminine form is '''[[Infanta]]'''.
**'''[[Mexican Prince]]''' was the title created on June 22, 1822 by the Mexican [[Constituent Congress]] during the [[First Mexican Empire]], to be granted to legitimate children who were not the heir or firstborn of the Emperor [[Agustín de Iturbide]]. Later, his grandsons were given the titles '''Prince of Iturbide''' by Emperor [[Maximilian I of Mexico]].
** '''[[Królewicz]]''', title used by the children of the monarchs of [[Crown of Poland|Poland]] and the later [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]
**'''Ōji''' (王子), Japanese, literally "sovereign-child", used only for the son of a monarch.
**'''Rajkumar''', the Indian title for prince, the feminine form is '''Rajkumari'''.
**[[Shahzada (title)|'''Shahzada''']], Persian for prince, the feminine form is '''[[Shahzadi]]'''.
** '''[[Yuvaraja]]''', is an Indian title for crown prince, literally "young king", the heir apparent to the throne of a kingdom. The feminine is '''Yuvarani'''. 
** '''[[Buumi]]''', first in line to the throne in [[Serer people|Serer]] pre-colonial kingdoms. The second in line is called a '''[[Thilas]]''', whereas the third in line is known as a '''[[Loul]]'''.
**'''Bai''', Filipino feminine equivalent of a prince.
** '''Ampuan''', Maranao royal title which literally means "The One to whom one asks for apology"
** '''Ginoo''', Ancient Filipino equivalent to noble man or prince (now used in the form "''Ginoóng''" as the analogue to "[[Mr|mister]]").
** '''[[Pillai (title)|Pillai]]''', Ancient South Indian title meaning "child", Prince for junior children of Emperors<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=pySCGvdyYLIC&dq=indian+epigraphical+pillai+prince&pg=PA166 Indian Epigraphical Dictionary, page 166] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117102113/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pySCGvdyYLIC&pg=PA166&dq=indian+epigraphical+pillai+prince&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHpO3DvuTQAhWpBcAKHRzwDSIQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=indian%20epigraphical%20pillai%20prince&f=false |date=17 January 2023 }}</ref>
** '''[[Morza]]''', a ''[[Tatars|Tatar]]'' title usually translated as "prince", it ranked below a Khan. The title was borrowed from Persian and Indian appellation [[Mirza (noble)|Mirza]] added to the names of certain nobles, which itself derived from ''Emir.''
** '''Daakyehene''', pronounced: ''Daa-chi-hi-ni'', literally: ''future king''. The feminine form is ''Daakyehemaa''. An Akan prince.
** '''[[Knyaz]]''', a title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a ruling or noble rank. It is usually translated into English as "Prince", but the word is related to the English ''King'' and the German ''König''. Also translated as ''Herzog (Duke).''
*'''[[Daimyo]]''' title of powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords of medieval and early modern Japan.
* '''[[Duke]]''' ('''[[Herzog]]''' in German), ruler{{efn|name="sov"}} of a [[duchy]];{{efn|A duke who is not actually or formerly sovereign, or a member of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty, such as British, French, Portuguese, Spanish and most Italian dukes, is a non-dynastic noble ranking above a marquis.}} also for junior members of ducal and some grand ducal families The feminine form is '''Duchess'''.
** '''[[Babu (title)|Babu]]''', Indian title, equivalent of Duke, feminine is '''Babuain'''
* '''[[Marquess]]''', '''[[Margrave]]''', or '''[[Marquis]]''' (literally "Count of a March" (=Border territory)) was the ruler of a [[Marches|marquessate]], [[Marches|margraviate]], or [[Marches|march]]. The female equivalent is '''Marchioness''', '''Margravine''', or '''Marquise'''.
** '''[[Grand Župan]]''', a more influential ''Župan''.
** '''[[Landgrave]]''' (literally "Land Count"), a German title, ruler of a landgraviate (large / provincial territory).
* '''[[Count]]''', theoretically the ruler of a [[county]]; known as an '''[[Earl]]''' in modern Britain; known as a '''[[Graf]]''' in German, known as '''Conde''' in Spain and Mexico, known as a '''[[Serdar (Ottoman rank)|Serdar]]''' in Montenegro and Serbia. The female equivalent is '''Countess''', which in Britain also refers to an earl's wife. 
** '''[[Župan]]''', noble and administrative title used in several states in Central and Southeastern Europe between the 7th century and the 21st century.
** '''[[Ispán]]''', leader of a castle district (a fortress and the royal lands attached to it) in the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] from the early 11th century.
* '''[[Viscount]]''' (vice-count), theoretically the ruler of a [[viscounty]], which did not develop into a [[hereditary title]] until much later.<ref name="Upshur, Terry, Holoka, Goff & Cassar">{{cite book |title=Cengage Advantage Books: World History|last1=Upshur|first1=Jiu-Hwa|last2=Terry|first2=Janice|last3=Holoka|first3=Jim|last4=Goff|first4=Richard|last5=Cassar|first5=George H.|volume=I|year=2011 |page=329 |isbn=9781111345167 |publisher=Wadsworth Publishing Co. Inc. |location=California }}</ref> The female equivalent is '''Viscountess'''. In the case of French viscounts and viscountesses, it is customary to leave the titles untranslated as '''vicomte''' {{IPA|fr|vikɔ̃t|}} and '''vicomtesse''' {{IPA|fr|vikɔ̃tɛs|}}.
** '''[[Burgrave]]''', or '''Burggraf''' ("count of a burg"). In the Low Countries, the ruler of a major city or deputy to a count, usually in charge of managing the court and administrative affairs.
* '''[[Castellan]]''', or '''[[Châtelain]]''', "holder of a [[castle]]".
**'''[[Kiladar]]''' was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in [[early modern India]]. Had the same functions as that of a European feudal '''Castellan'''
* '''[[Sahib]]''', title of Arabic origin meaning "companion." The feminine form is '''Sahiba'''.
* '''[[Baron]]''', theoretically the ruler of a [[feudal barony|barony]] – some barons in some countries may have been "free barons" (''liber baro'') and as such, regarded (themselves) as higher barons. The female equivalent is '''Baroness'''.
** '''[[Freiherr]]''', a German word meaning literally "Free Master" or "Free Lord" (i.e. not subdued to feudal chores or drudgery), is the German equivalent of the English term "Baron", with the important difference that unlike the British Baron, he is not a "[[Peer of the Realm]]" (member of the high aristocracy).<ref>Meyers Taschenlexikon Geschichte 1982, vol 1, p. 22 & vol 2, p. 198.</ref> The female equivalent is '''Freifrau'''.
** '''[[Heerlijkheid|Heer]]''', a Dutch word meaning "lord", when used before and during the [[Dutch Republic]], refers to the feudal lords that ran the countryside on behalf of the counts. Untitled descendants, male and female, of this old nobility (Dutch:[[:nl:Adel|oude adel]]) use the title "[[Jonkheer|Jonkheer/Jonkvrouw]]", and after the establishment of the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]] sometimes "Baron/Baroness", before the given and surname following the German practice for Freiherr. Also like the German practice, females inherit the title, but cannot pass it down.
**'''[[Primor]]''', a [[Hungarian nobility|Hungarian noble title]], originally the highest rank of [[Székelys|Székely]] nobility, usually compared to [[baron]] (or less commonly, [[count]]).<ref>{{Cite book|title=Székely Primor Családok|last=Szilágyi|first=László|year=1938|location=Budapest|pages=17}}</ref> Originally, ''primores'' could ''de jure'' not be evicted from his fiefdom, even by the King of Hungary (although such instances did occur).<ref>{{Cite book|title=A M. Kir. Belügyminiszter által igazolt nemesek 1867–1937|last=Gerő|first=József|publisher=Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kingdom of Hungary|year=1938|location=Budapest|pages=5–30}}</ref>
** '''[[Zamindar]]''' were considered to be equivalent to lords and barons; in some cases they were independent sovereign princes. The feminine form is '''Zamindarni'''.
** '''[[Jagir|Jagirdar]]''', also spelled as '''Jageerdar''' ([[Devanagari]]: जागीर, [[Persian language|Persian]]: جاگیر, ''ja-'' meaning "place", ''-gir'' meaning "keeping, holding"). Indian title for the ruler of a [[jagir]] (fief) The feminine form is '''Jagirdarni'''.
** '''[[Principalía|Principal]]''', a person belonging to the aristocratic ruling class of Filipino nobles called ''[[Principalía]]'', roughly equivalent to ancient Roman [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|Patricians]], through whom the Spanish Monarchs ruled the Philippines during the colonial period ({{circa|1600s}} to 1898). The feminine form is '''Principala'''.<ref>''"Esta institucion (Cabecería de Barangay), mucho más antigua que la sujecion de las islas al Gobierno, ha merecido siempre las mayores atencion. En un principio eran las cabecerías hereditarias, y constituian la verdadera hidalguía del país; mas del dia, si bien en algunas provincias todavía se tramiten por sucesion hereditaria, las hay tambien eleccion, particularmente en las provincias más inmediatas á Manila, en donde han perdido su prestigio y su una verdadera carga. En las provincias distantes todavía se hacen respetar, y allí es precisamente en donde la autoridad tiene ménos que hacer, y el órden se conserva sin necesidad de medidas coercitivas; porque todavía existe en ellas el gobierno patriarcal, por el gran respeto que la plebe conserva aún á lo que llaman aquí principalía."'' FERRANDO, Fr Juan & FONSECA OSA, Fr Joaquin (1870–1872). ''Historia de los PP. Dominicos en las Islas Filipinas y en las Misiones del Japon, China, Tung-kin y Formosa'', (Vol. 1 of 6 vols, in Spanish). Madrid: Imprenta y esteriotipia de M Rivadeneyra, p. 61.</ref><ref>''Durante la dominación española, el cacique, jefe de un barangay, ejercía funciones judiciales y administrativas. A los tres años tenía el tratamiento de don y se reconocía capacidad para ser gobernadorcillo, con facultades para nombrarse un auxiliar llamado primogenito, siendo hereditario el cargo de jefe''. ''Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada Europeo-Americana''. VII. Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, S.A. 1921, p. 624.</ref>
**'''[[Regents]]''': A regent (from Latin regens: ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state pro tempore (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, or the throne is vacant and the new monarch has not yet been determined. The rule of a regent or regents is called a regency. A regent or regency council may be formed [[ad hoc]] or in accordance with a constitutional rule. Regent is sometimes a formal title granted to a monarch's most trusted [[advisor]] or personal assistant. If the regent is holding their position due to their position in the [[line of succession]], the compound term [[prince regent]] is often used; if the regent of a minor is their mother, she would be referred to as queen regent.

==Minor nobility, landed gentry, and other aristocracy==
{{Main|Aristocracy (class)|Landed gentry}}

The distinction between the ranks of the major nobility (listed above) and the minor nobility, listed here, was not always a sharp one in all nations. But the precedence of the ranks of a baronet or a knight is quite generally accepted for where this distinction exists for most nations. Here the rank of baronet (ranking above a knight) is taken as the highest rank among the ranks of the minor nobility or landed gentry that are listed below.

===Titles===

* '''[[Baronet]]''' is a hereditary title ranking below baron but above knight; this title is granted only in the United Kingdom and is variously considered to be "the head of the ''nobiles minores''" or "the lowest of the ''nobiles majores''" of that country. The feminine form is '''Baronetess'''. 
* '''[[Dominus (title)|Dominus]]''' was the Latin title of the feudal, superior and mesne, lords, and also an ecclesiastical and academical title (equivalent of [[Lord]])
* '''[[Vidame]]''', a minor French aristocrat
* '''[[Vavasour]]''', also a petty French feudal lord
* '''[[Seigneur]]''' or '''[[Lord of the manor]]''' rules a smaller local fief
* '''[[Captal]]''', archaic Gascon title equivalent to seigneur
* '''[[Knight]]''' is the central rank of the Medieval aristocratic system in Europe (and having its equivalents elsewhere), usually ranking at or near the top of the minor nobility in most areas. However, before the 18th century in the Low Countries of the Holy Roman Empire, the knights ([[Ridder (title)|ridderen]]) were major nobility, ranking above the ''heren'' (equivalent to feudal barons and lords of the manor, depending on the size of the estate) and directly below the head of state.
* '''[[Patrician (post-Roman Europe)|Patrician]]''' is a dignity of minor nobility or landed gentry (most often being hereditary) usually ranking below Knight but above Esquire
* '''[[Fidalgo]]''' or '''[[Hidalgo (Spanish nobility)|Hidalgo]]''' is a minor Portuguese and Spanish aristocrat (respectively; from ''filho d'algo'' / ''hijo de algo'', lit. "son of something")
* '''[[Nobile (aristocracy)|Nobile]]''' is an Italian title of nobility for prestigious families that never received a title
* '''[[Edler]]''' is a minor aristocrat in Germany and Austria during those countries' respective imperial periods.
* '''[[Jonkheer]]''' is an [[honorific]] for members of the [[Dutch nobility]] who do not currently hold a title. An untitled noblewoman is styled ''Jonkvrouw'', though the wife of a ''Jonkheer'' is a ''Mevrouw'' or, sometimes, ''Freule'', which could also be used by daughters of the same.
* '''[[Junker]]''' is a German noble honorific, meaning "young nobleman" or otherwise "young lord".
* '''[[Reis (military rank)|Reis]]''' is an obscure aristocratic title from the coastlines of Lebanon and Syria that is roughly equivalent to a baron. The word itself can be translated as "Commodore", and is found only among a few of the former "Merchant Aristocrat" houses of the former Mount Lebanon Emirate. The only legitimate holders of this title are those that trace their lineage back to vassals of [[Fakhr al-Din II]] that arrived from Italy via the alliance with the [[Medici]].
* '''[[Skartabellat|Skartabel]]''' is a minor Polish aristocrat.
* '''[[Scottish feudal barony|Scottish Baron]]''' is a hereditary noble dignity, outside the [[peerage of Scotland|Scots peerage]], recognised by [[Lord Lyon]] as a member of the Scots ''[[noblesse]]'' and ranking below a [[Lord of Parliament]] but above a Scottish [[Laird]]<ref>Ruling of the Court of the Lord Lyon (26 February 1948, Vol. IV, page 26): "With regard to the words 'untitled nobility' employed in certain recent birthbrieves in relation to the (Minor) Baronage of Scotland, Finds and Declares that the (Minor) Barons of Scotland are, and have been both in this nobiliary Court and in the Court of Session recognised as a 'titled nobility' and that the estait of the Baronage (i.e. ''Barones Minores'') are of the ancient Feudal Nobility of Scotland".</ref>{{efn|There are actually five dignities in the [[Baronage of Scotland]] that are types of a Scottish Baron; these are (in ascending order of rank): [[Baronage_of_Scotland#List_of_Baronies_in_the_Baronage_of_Scotland|Baron]], [[Lords_in_the_Baronage_of_Scotland#List_of_Lordships_in_the_Baronage_of_Scotland|Lord]], [[Earls,_Marquises_and_Dukes_in_the_Baronage_of_Scotland#List_of_Earldoms_in_the_Baronage_of_Scotland|Earl]], [[Earls,_Marquises_and_Dukes_in_the_Baronage_of_Scotland#List_of_Marquisates_and_Dukedoms_in_the_Baronage_of_Scotland|Marquis and Duke]] (the general name for the dignity listed above among the ranks of aristocratic gentry).}} in the British system. However, Scottish Barons on the European continent are considered and treated equal to European barons.
* '''[[Laird]]''' is a Scottish hereditary feudal dignity ranking below a Scottish Baron but above an Esquire
* '''[[Esquire]]''' is a rank of [[gentry]] originally derived from [[Squire]] and indicating the status of an attendant to a knight, an apprentice knight, or a [[manorialism|manorial]] lord;<ref>Dodd, Charles R. (1843) ''A manual of dignities, privilege, and precedence: including lists of the great public functionaries, from the revolution to the present time'', London: Whittaker & Co., pp.248,251 [https://archive.org/details/manualofdignitie00dodc]</ref> it ranks below Knight (or in Scotland below Laird) but above '''Gentleman'''.{{efn|The meaning of the title Esquire became (and remains) quite diffuse, and may indicate anything from no aristocratic status, to some official government civil appointment, or (more historically) the son of a knight or noble who had no other title above just [[Gentleman]].|name="esquire"}}{{efn|In the United States, where there is no nobility, the title esquire is sometimes arrogated (without any governmental authorization) by lawyers admitted to the state bar.|name="usesquire"}}
* '''[[Gentleman]]''' is the basic rank of [[landed gentry]] (ranking below Esquire), historically primarily associated with land; within [[British Commonwealth]] nations it is also roughly equivalent to some minor nobility of some of the continental European nations<ref name="lawrence">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k04RAQAAIAAJ |last=Larence |first=Sir James Henry |title=The nobility of the British Gentry or the political ranks and dignities of the British Empire compared with those on the continent |edition=2nd |location=London |publisher=T.Hookham – Simpkin and Marshall |year=1827 |orig-year=first published 1824 |access-date=2013-01-06 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117102115/https://books.google.com/books?id=k04RAQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> The feminine form is '''[[Gentlewoman]]'''
* '''[[Bibi (title)|Bibi]]''', means [[Miss]] in Urdu and is frequently used as a respectful title for women in [[South Asia]] when added to the given name.
* '''[[Lord]]''', a title of the [[Peerage of the United Kingdom|peerage]] in the [[United Kingdom]], or used for people entitled to [[Courtesy title|courtesy titles]]. The collective "Lords" can refer to a group or body of [[Peerages in the United Kingdom|peers]], the feminine is '''[[Lady]]'''.
* '''[[Lalla (title)|Lalla]]''', is an Amazigh [[title of respect]]. The title is a prefix to her [[given name]] or [[personal name]], and is used by females usually of noble or royal background.
* '''[[Samurai]]''', the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of [[History of Japan#Medieval Japan (1185–1573/1600)|medieval]] and [[Edo period|early-modern]] Japan.
* '''[[Jizamurai]]''', (''samurai of the land'') lower-ranking provincial samurai and petty nobility. The term was rather broad and could also refer to non-noble independent [[peasant]] [[landowners]].
* '''[[Sidi]]''', is a masculine title of respect, meaning "my master" in [[Maltese language|Maltese]], [[Darija]] and [[Egyptian Arabic]].
* '''[[Dvoryanin]]''', the word ({{Langx|ru|Дворянин|lit=|translit=Member of the court}}); a member of [[Russian nobility]].

== Further information by country ==

===English titles===
{{See also| Peerage of England}}
{{Unsourced section|date=March 2023}}

During the Middle Ages, in England, as in most of Europe, the [[feudal system]] was the dominant social and economic system. Under the feudal system, the monarch would grant land to the monarch’s loyal subjects in exchange for the subject’s loyalty and military service when called by the monarch. Besides grants of land, these subjects were usually given titles that implied nobility and rank, such as duke, earl, baron, etc., which were passed down through the holder’s [[male line]]. Barons were the lowest rank of nobility and were granted small parcels of land. Earls were the next highest rank with larger land holdings. Dukes were the highest rank and held the largest holdings, known as duchies. The monarch was the ultimate authority and was able to grant and revoke titles.

In the 14th century, an English peerage began to emerge as a separate entity from the feudal system. The peers held titles granted by the monarch, but did not necessarily hold any land or have any feudal obligations. The peerage was divided into five ranks; from highest to lowest: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.

The peerage system became more formalized over time. By the 18th century, peerages were no longer granted as a reward for military service, but instead were granted as a way to recognize social status and political influence.

Today, there are two types of peerages in England: hereditary and life peerages. Hereditary peerages are those that are passed down through the male line of the family. Life peerages, on the other hand, are granted to an individual for their lifetime only and do not pass down to their heirs. 

Before 1958, life peerages were relatively rare, and were held to entitle the bearer to sit in the [[House of Lords]]. Since the ''[[Life Peerages Act 1958]]'', nearly all new peerages are life baronies.

In addition to peerages, there are also a number of other titles in England, such as "knight" and "dame." These titles are granted by the monarch and are not hereditary.

=== In German-speaking states ===

The actual rank of a title-holder in German-speaking states depended not only on the nominal rank of the title, but also the degree of [[sovereignty]] exercised, the rank of the title-holder's [[suzerain]], and the length of time the family possessed its status within the nobility (''Uradel, Briefadel, altfürstliche, neufürstliche'', see: [[German nobility]]). Thus, any reigning sovereign ranks higher than any [[abolished monarchy|deposed]] or [[German Mediatisation|mediatized]] sovereign (e.g., the ''[[Fürst]]'' of [[Waldeck (state)|Waldeck]], sovereign until 1918, was higher than the [[Duke of Arenberg]], head of a mediatized family, although ''[[Herzog]]'' is nominally a higher title than ''Fürst''). However, former holders of higher titles in extant monarchies retained their relative rank, i.e., a queen dowager of Belgium outranks the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein. Members of a formerly sovereign or mediatized house rank higher than the nobility. Among the nobility, those whose titles derive from the [[Holy Roman Empire]] rank higher than the holder of an equivalent title granted by one of the German monarchs after 1806.

The constitution of the [[Weimar Republic]] in 1919 ceased to accord privileges to members of dynastic and noble families. Their titles henceforth became legal parts of the family name, and traditional forms of address (e.g., "Hoheit" or "[[Durchlaucht]]") ceased to be accorded to them by governmental entities.<ref name="Art. 109 WC">{{cite web |url=https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/Verfassung_des_Deutschen_Reichs_(1919)#Erster_Abschnitt:_Die_Einzelperson |title=Artikel 109 |language=de |trans-title=Article 109 |work=Weimar Constitution |quote="Adelsbezeichnungen gelten nur als Teil des Namens und dürfen nicht mehr verliehen werden."}}</ref> The last title was conferred on 12 November 1918 to [[Kurt von Kleefeld]].<ref>Kurt Koszyk: Gustav Stresemann. Cologne, 1989. P.183</ref>

In Austria, nobility titles may no longer be used since 1918.<ref name="aut">{{cite web |url = http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Bundesnormen/NOR12000691/NOR12000691.html |title = RIS Dokument |website = bka.gv.at |access-date = 23 April 2009 |archive-date = 27 May 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110527060220/http://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/Bundesnormen/NOR12000691/NOR12000691.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

== See also ==<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
* [[Clergy]]
* [[Courtesy title]]
* [[Ecclesiastical Addresses]]
* [[False titles of nobility]]
* [[Forms of address in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Nobiliary particle]]
* [[Petty kingdom]]
* [[Prince of the church]]
* [[Royal and noble styles]]
* [[Subsidiary title]]
* [[Substantive title]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Noble titles}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041213144833/http://hereditarytitles.com/ Hereditary titles] (archived 13 December 2004)
* [http://www.heraldica.org/topics/royalty/g_morganat.htm Unequal and Morganatic Marriages in German Law]
* [http://www.heraldica.org/topics/odegard/titlefaq.htm Noble, Princely, Royal, and Imperial Titles]
* [http://www.chinet.com/~laura/html/titles01.html British noble titles]
* [http://www.faketitles.com/ Fake titles]

{{List of titles and honours of the Countries Crown}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal And Noble Ranks}}
[[Category:Noble titles|*]]
[[Category:Titles of national or ethnic leadership]]