Imperial, royal and noble ranks

Sovereign

• The word monarch is derived from the Greek μονάρχης, monárkhēs, "sole ruler" through the Latinized form monarcha.
• The word sovereign is derived from the Latin super.
• Autocrat is derived from the Greek αὐτοκράτωρ: αὐτός and κρατείν, and may be translated as "one who rules by himself.”

Imperial titles

• "Emperor", Imperador, Emperador, Imperatore and Empereur, from the Latin Imperator, was originally a military title. Soldiers would salute the leader of a victorious army as 'imperator'. In English, the feminine form is Empress. The realm of an emperor or empress is termed an Empire. Other words meaning Emperor include:
• *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 Augusta.
• *Caesar, the appellation of Roman emperors derived from the Roman 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 / Tzar / Csar / Czar, derived as shortened variant of the Slavic pronunciation of Caesar, 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".
• **Kaysar-i Rûm, claimed by the Ottoman monarchs
• *Basileus kai Autokrator, Medieval Greek title meaning "sovereign and autocrat", used by the Greek Byzantine Emperors from the 9th century onwards.
• *Huēyi Tlahtloāni, the Classical Nahuatl term for the ruler of multiple altepetl, 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".
• *Sapa Inca, The Sapa Inca or Sapa Inka, also known as Apu, Inka Qhapaq, or simply Sapa, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cusco and, later, the monarch of the Tawantinsuyu and the Neo-Inca State.
• *Samrat, is an ancient Indian title meaning "king of all lands". The feminine form is Samrājñī.
• * Chakravarti, the 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.
• ** Tribhuvana-Chakravartin, literally "emperor of the three worlds", used by the Cholas
• ** Cakkavattin, Pali for Chakravartin. Claimed by the Siamese, Khmer, Lao, and Burmese monarchs.
• *** Chakkaphat, the Thai/Lao version of Cakkavattin
• ** 轉輪王 or 轉輪聖王, 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, the Japanese emperor Go-Daigo, etc.
• *** Emperor Manjushri, one of the titles for the Qing emperors. Related to the wheel-turning king.
• * Padishah, Persian pād "master" and shāh "king". Used in the Ottoman Empire and the Mughal Empire.
• * 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.
• **Huangdi , the Imperial monarch during Imperial China.
• *** Da Huangdi , literally "great emperor", one of the titles for the Qing emperors
• ** Hwangje , title used for emperors of the Korean Empire
• *** Seonghwang , literally "holy emperor", one of the titles for the rulers of the Goryeo. It is a combination of 聖, meaning "holy", and 皇, an abbreviation of 皇帝.
• ** Hoàng đế , Vietnamese, meaning "emperor"
• **Kōtei , Japanese title primarily used for emperors of other nations. Tennō refers only to an emperor of Japan, whereas kōtei refers to an emperor of any country.
• ***Tennō , meaning "heavenly emperor", title used for emperors of Japan. It is a combination of 天, meaning "heavenly", and 皇, an abbreviation of 皇帝.
• *** Mikado , the traditional title for Tennō. 帝 is an abbreviation of 皇帝.
• * King of Kings, the style of monarchic title used in a number of empires
• ** Khagan, derived from "khan of khans", used by the Central Asian nomads. The feminine form is Khatun.
• ***Tian Kehan , meaning "heavenly khagan", given to Tang Taizong and Tang Gaozong by Turkic nomads
• ** Šar Šarrāni, Akkadian for "king of kings"
• ** Shahanshah, Persian title equivalent of the style King of Kings, meaning "shah of shahs". Used by Persian/Iranian monarchs.
• ** Sulṭānü's-Selāṭīn, the sultanic equivalent of the style King of Kings, meaning "Sultan of Sultans".
• ** Basileus Basileōn, Ancient Greek 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.
• ** Nəgusä Nägäst, title of the rulers of Ethiopia, meaning "king of kings".
• ** Ark'ayits Ark'a, Արքայից Արքայ, Armenian for "king of kings"
• ** Mepe-Mepeta, მეფეთა მეფე, Georgian for "king of kings"
• ** Rajadhiraja, Sanskrit for "king of kings"
• *** Maharajadhiraja, meaning "great king of kings", used by the emperors of the Gupta Empire. In ancient India it was an imperial title, but it later became a royal title.
• ** Malik al-Muluk, Arabic title meaning "king of kings"

  Royal titles

• King, from the Germanic *kuningaz, roughly meaning "son of the people." The realm of a king is termed a kingdom. 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 γυνή, gynē, "woman"; from PIE *gʷḗn, "woman". Regardless of a ruler's sex, their realm is known as a kingdom.
• *Rex, Latin for king, the feminine form is Regina.
• *Rei, Rey, Re, Roi, Rege - Derived from Latin Rex, meaning "ruler". Rex is cognate with Raja, Rí, Reign, Regina, Arqa, etc.
• *Basileus, from Mycenaean Greek meaning "chieftain", used by various Ancient Greek rulers.
• *Bretwalda, title given to some of the rulers of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms from the 5th century onwards who had achieved overlordship of some or all of the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
• *Arka or Arqa is a royal title in Great Armenia and various Kingdoms of Armenia. Another used name was Tagavor or Thagawor, which also appeared later in Cilician Armenia.
• *Melech, Hebrew word for king. The word for queen is Malka.
• * 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.
• **Wáng , the head of state of Ancient China. In ancient China it was a royal title, but later became a princely title.
• *** , meaning "Hegemon-King"
• *** Tian Wang , meaning "heavenly king"
• *** , meaning "different surnamed king/prince". This title was granted to subjects as a peerage.
• ** Wang , Korean, meaning "king"
• *** Daewang , Korean title meaning "great king"
• *** Taewang , literally "greatest king", a Korean title for the rulers of the Goguryeo
• *** Seongwang , meaning "holy king", used by the Balhae monarchs
• *** Sinseongjewang , literally "holy emperor-king", one of the titles for the rulers of the Goryeo
• ** Vương , Vietnamese, meaning "king". In ancient Vietnam it was a royal title, but later became a princely title.
• *** Đại vương , Vietnamese, meaning "great king/prince"
• **Ō , 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.
• *** Okimi , Japanese title meaning "great king"
• *Król 'Král, Király, Король, Кароль, Краљ / Kralj, Крал, Crai, 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.
• *Tsenpo, also known as Ihase or "Divine Son", was the title of the monarchs of Tibet.
• *Chanyu, short for Chengli Gutu Chanyu 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, Gaelic title meaning king, of which there were several grades, the highest being Ard Rí. Cognate with Indian Raja, Latin Rex, and ancient Gaulish Rix.
• *Arasan, Vēndhar, Kō are the various titles referring to the King in Tamil.
• *Raja, Sanskrit, later 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 monarchs
• **Rai, a regional variation of Raja.
• **Rao, a regional variation of Raja.
• **Rana, a regional variation of Raja.
• **Rawal, a regional variation of Raja.
• **Racha / Rachini written in Thai as ราชา or ราชินี. deriving from the sanskrit राज. King is ราชา, Queen is ราชินี. Typically refer to the person, not necessary a title.
• *Khosi a king in Lesotho, Botswana and other Sotho speaking communities.
• *Kamonteng Ansi deriving from Old Khmer, used for Sukhothai kings. Meaning: "Lord of Our Lives." Used for king Kamonteng Ansi Inthrabodinthrathit, and Phrabat Kamonteng Ansi Rammarat. In which, following the latter's reign, the title became defunct
• *Khun an archaic Thai term referring to a leader.
• **Pho Khun derivation of Khun. Used during the Sukhothai kingdom era. An example is Pho Khun Ban Mueang
• **Khun Luang derivation of Khun. Used during the Ayutthaya kingdom era. This title is not used with names, only to refer to the person only. For example, to refer to the King. One says Khun Luang, never Khun Luang Ekkathat. If one wishes to refer to a king, one must either say the regnant name: Somdet Phra Borommaracha III or a personal name: Somdet Phra Chao Ekkathat.
• *Chao means Lord or Master.
• **Phra Chao informal version of Somdet Phra Chao. A derivation of Chao.
• **Somdet Phra Chao a derivation of Chao.
• **Chao Fa 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 derivation of Chao used among Tai peoples in the Shan State.
• **Sao, a derivation of Chao used among Tai peoples in the Shan State.
• *Nai Luang informally referring to a king, the King of Thailand.
• *Phraya an archaic title referring to a Thai King. This was used during the Sukhothai era. Later on during the Ayutthaya, Rattanakosin/Siam, and Thailand era, this was used to refer to a duke instead of a king.
• *Great King, a royal title suggesting an elevated status among the host of kings.
• *High King, a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings, without the title of emperor.
• *Maharaja, Sanskrit, later 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 word for the King or Ruler of a kingdom or city-state. It is cognate with Obi and Igwe.
• *Oba, the Yoruba word for King or Ruler of a kingdom or city-state. It is used across all the traditional Yoruba lands, as well as by the Edo, throughout Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
• ** Alaafin, 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 and their people within the Empire.
• *Kabaka, ruler of Buganda, a realm within Uganda in East Africa.
• * Omukama is a title associated with the Bunyoro-Kitara in Uganda. It is also the title of the Omukama of Toro.
• *Shah, Persian word for king, from Indo-European for "he who rules". Used in Persia, alongside Shahanshah. The feminine form is Shahbanu
• *Boqor, 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.
• ** Suratrana, Sanskrit for Sultan
• *Khan, from the Turco-Mongol word for "ruler" or "king". The feminine equivalent is a Khanum. A Khan's realm is called a Khanate.
• ** ', literally "highest khan", a Korean title for the rulers of early Silla
• ** Bogda Khan, one of the titles for the Qing emperors
• *Malik, Arabic for "king". The feminine equivalent is a Malika.
• *Mwami in Rwanda and neighbouring regions in the Congo. The female counterpart is Mwamikazi.
• *Almamy, King of Futa Toro, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Toucouleur people. From the old Pulaar title "Almamy".
• *Maad a Sinig, King of Sine, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Serer people. From the old Serer title "Maad".
• *Maad Saloum, ruler of 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, ruler of Baol, previously a pre-colonial Serer kingdom.
• *Tlahtloāni, the Classical Nahuatl term for the ruler of an altepetl, a pre-Hispanic city-state in Mesoamerica, variously translated in English as "king," "ruler,". A cihuātlahtoāni is a female ruler, or queen regnant.
• *Lugal, is the Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man."
• * Anax, from Mycenaean wanax for "high king". Outranked Basileus in Mycenaean usage.
• * Pharaoh, "Man of the Great House " 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 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, cousin ), 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 Malaysian 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.
• * Otumfuo, literally "the powerful one", an 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.
• * Qhapaq, written as Capac in Spanish texts, the Inca word for "king"