Title


A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the first and last name. Some titles are hereditary.

Types

Titles include:
  • Honorific titles or styles of address, a phrase used to convey respect to the recipient of a communication, or to recognize an attribute such as:
  • * Imperial, royal and noble rank
  • * Academic degree
  • * Social title, prevalent among certain sections of society due to historic or other reasons.
  • * Other accomplishment, as with a title of honor
  • Title of authority, an identifier that specifies the office or position held by an official

    Titles in English-speaking areas

Common titles

  • Mr. – All males
  • Ms. – Adult women
  • Mrs. – Married women
  • Miss – Unmarried women and girls
  • Madam – Formal form of address for an adult woman. Also used with an official position, similar to "Mister" for men, e.g. "Madam/Mister Ambassador"

    Controversy around usage of common titles

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

Familial

Family titles in English-speaking countries include:
  • Uncle – one's parent's brother
  • Cousin _ son or daughter of either parent's brother or sister
  • Aunt or Aunty – one's parent's sister
  • Granny, Gran, Grandma or Nana – one's grandmother
  • Pop, Grandpa, Gramps or Grandad – one's grandfather

    Legislative and executive titles

  • Hon., for younger sons and daughters of barons, and Rt. Hon., for Privy Councillors, used in the United Kingdom
Some job titles of members of the legislature and executive are used as titles.
In the United Kingdom, Lord and Lady are used as titles for members of the nobility. Unlike titles such as Mr and Mrs, they are not used before first names except in certain circumstances, for example as courtesy titles for younger sons, etc., of peers. In Scotland, Lord of Parliament and Lady of Parliament are the equivalents of Baron and Baroness in England.
  • Lord – From the Old English hlāford, hlāfweard, meaning, literally, 'bread-keeper', from hlāf + weard and by extension 'husband, father, or chief'. The feminine equivalent is Lady from the related Old English hlǣfdīġe meaning, literally, "bread-kneader", from hlāf + dīġe, and by extension wife, daughter, or mistress of the house.
  • Emperor/Empress – From the Latin Imperator, meaning 'he/she who holds the authority to command '.
  • King/Queen – Derived from Old Norse/Germanic words. The original meaning of the root of king apparently meant 'leader of the family' or 'descendant of the leader of the family', and the original meaning of queen meant 'wife'. By the time the words came into English they already meant 'ruler'.
  • Tsar/Tsarina – Slavonic loan-word from Latin.
  • Caesar – The name of Julius Caesar taken by his heir Augustus and thereafter by Augustus' successors as Roman Emperor through the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Loaned into German as Kaiser.
  • Leader – From Old English lædan, meaning "to guide". The head of state of North Korea is titled Great Leader. The de facto head of state of Iran is titled Supreme Leader.
  • Chief – A variation of the English "Prince", used as the short form of the word "Chieftain". Generally used to refer to a recognised leader within a chieftaincy system. From this come the variations paramount chief, clan chief and village chief. The feminine equivalent is Chieftess.
Male versionFemale versionRealmAdjectiveLatinExamples
Popen/aPapacyPapalPapaMonarch of the Papal States and later Sovereign of the State of Vatican City
EmperorEmpressEmpireImperator Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Ottoman Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Russia, First and Second French Empire, Austria, Mexican Empire, Empire of Brazil, German Empire, Empress of India, Japan.
KingQueenKingdomRoyalRex Common in larger sovereign states
ViceroyVicereineViceroyaltyViceroyal, ViceregalProconsulHistorical: Spanish Empire, Portuguese Empire, British Empire
Grand DukeGrand DuchessGrand duchyGrand DucalMagnus DuxToday: Luxembourg; historical: Lithuania, Baden, Finland, Tuscany et al.
ArchdukeArchduchessArchduchyArchducalArci DuxHistorical: Unique only in Austria, Archduchy of Austria; title used for member of the Habsburg dynasty
PrincePrincessPrincipality, Princely statePrincelyPrincepsToday: Monaco, Liechtenstein, Asturies, Wales; Andorra. Historical: Albania, Serbia
DukeDuchessDuchyDucalDuxDuke of Buccleuch, Duke of York, Duke of Devonshire et al.
CountCountessCountyComitalComesMost common in the Holy Roman Empire, translated in German as Graf; historical: Portugal, Barcelona, Brandenburg, Baden, numerous others
BaronBaronessBaronyBaronialBaroThere are normal baronies and sovereign baronies, a sovereign barony being comparable to a principality; however, this is an historical exception: sovereign barons no longer have a sovereign barony, but only the title and style
ChiefChieftainessChiefdom, ChieftaincyChieflyCapitaneusThe clan chiefs of Scotland, the grand chiefs in the Papua New Guinean honours system, the chief of the Cherokee nation, the chiefs of the Nigerian chieftaincy system, numerous others

Titles used by knights, dames, baronets and baronetesses

  • Sir – Used by knights and baronets
  • Dame – Used by dames and baronetesses
Both the titles "Sir" and "Dame" differ from titles such as "Mr" and "Mrs" in that they can only be used before a person's first name, and not immediately before their surname. Neither "Sir" or "Dame" confer nobility upon the titleholder.