The British nobility is made up of the peerage and the landed gentry of the British Isles.
Though the UK is today a constitutional monarchy with strong democracy elements, historically the British Isles were more predisposed towards aristocracy governance in which power was largely inherited and shared amongst a noble class. The nobility of the four constituent home nations and crown dependencies therefore has played a major role in shaping the history of the British Isles, and remnants of this nobility exist throughout the UK's social structure and institutions.
Traditionally, the British nobility rank directly below the British royal family. In the modern era, this ranking is more of a formally recognised social dignity, rather than something conveying practical authority; however, through bodies such as the House of Lords, the nature of some offices in the Royal Household, and British property law, the British nobility retain some aspects of political and legal power.
The vast majority of the British nobility (in the Continental sense) is formed by the 'Gentry', which primarily consists of those who hold a coat of arms, but holds ranks including Baronet, Knight, Esquire and Gentleman.
All ranks and titles of nobility in the British Isles that are higher than Gentleman are strictly personal and limited to the lifetime of the holder, though many can be transmitted by primogeniture, usually to heirs male of the body of the original recipient. Male-line descendants of members of the royal family, peers, baronets, knights and esquires do not sink below the rank of Gentleman as long as they are Armiger. Coats of arms are marks of nobility in Britain unlike on the Continent, where a grant of arms does not necessarily result in ennoblement or confirmation of nobility.
The British nobility should not be confused with the British upper class, though functionally the nobility may be said to make up a significant portion of the upper class. Those belonging to the upper or upper middle class are able to formally accede to the nobility by obtaining a grant of arms.
The Peerage
The British nobility in the narrow sense consists of Peers. Members of the peerage carry the titles of
duke,
marquess,
earl,
viscount or
baron (in Scotland historically lord of parliament). British peers are sometimes referred to generically as
, although individual dukes are not so styled when addressed or by reference, and those holding some offices are afford the title "Lord" by courtesy.
All modern British peerage dignities are created directly by the Crown and take effect when letters patent are issued, affixed with the Great Seal of the Realm. The Sovereign is considered to be the fount of honour and, as "the fountain and source of all dignities cannot hold a dignity from himself",[Opinion of the House of Lords in the Buckhurst Peerage Case] cannot hold a British peerage. Peerages inherited by the Crown, for example those held by the Prince of Wales upon the demise of the monarch, merge with it and can be regranted to a new individual.
Membership in the Peerage is strictly personal and for life (Life peer) though often heritable (Hereditary peer) primarily by agnatic primogeniture with some exceptions. All British subjects who are not themselves Peers of the Realm are technically Commoner, regardless of ancestry, wealth, or other social factors. This includes Princes of the United Kingdom who have not yet been granted a Peerage. The term "Commoner" does not imply that the person is not noble in the Continental sense, but rather that he is not a Peer and is therefore entitled to be elected to the House of Commons.
Unlike the feudal titles they replaced, peerages are personal title that cannot be transferred, bought, or sold by the title holder. Historically monarchs sold peerage titles under limited circumstances. This was often done to raise funds. For example, in the early Stuart period, King James I sold peerages, adding sixty-two peers to a body that had included just fifty-nine members at the commencement of his reign. Some governments through history also sold peerages to fund government activities, or more controversially, party activities. The selling of peerage grants by a government was made illegal in 1925 with the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. The act was the result of the administration of David Lloyd George selling a high number of controversial peerages. The Blair administration was later accused of trying to skirt this law in 2006 in the so called "Cash-for-Honours scandal", as was an aide of Charles III in the 2021 Cash-for-Favours scandal.
Lists
Dukes
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Dukes in the United Kingdom
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List of dukes in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
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List of dukedoms in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
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List of dukedoms in the baronage of Scotland
Marquesses
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Marquesses in the United Kingdom
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List of marquesses in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
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List of marquessates in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
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List of marquessates in the baronage of Scotland
Earls
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Earl
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List of earls in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
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List of earldoms
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List of earldoms in the baronage of Scotland
Viscounts
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List of viscounts in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
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List of viscountcies in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
Barons/Lords of Parliament of Scotland
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Royal baronies in the United Kingdom
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List of barons in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
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List of baronies in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
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List of baronies in the baronage of Scotland
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List of life peerages
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List of lordships of Parliament
The Gentry
The vast majority of the British nobility is formed by the gentry. These individuals are commoners (in the British sense) who do not have a peerage, but possess another mark of nobility, or in the British sense,
gentility.
Other than their designation, such as Gentleman or Esquire, they enjoy only the privilege of a position in the formal orders of precedence in the United Kingdom. The largest portion of the British aristocracy has historically been the landed gentry, made up of and other non-titled landowners whose families hailed from the medieval feudal class (referred to as gentlemen due to their income solely deriving from land ownership). Roughly a third of British land is owned by the nobility and landed gentry.[Country Life (magazine), Who really owns Britain?, 16.10.2010]
Children of Peers
The eldest sons of Peers who are Earls or higher and possess multiple titles may use their father's next-lower title
by courtesy, their own eldest sons may use the third-highest title and so on. They are not Peers but remain Esquires until they inherit the substantive peerage themselves. Until 1999, they could sit in the House of Lords by virtue of a Writ of Acceleration.
Baronets and Knights
Baronets
Baronet are generally considered part of the gentry, being hereditarily titled but not Peers, and form the upper tier. They entitle the holder to the title "Sir/Lady name", and will be recognised as the "Baronet of placename". The position is therefore comparable with hereditary knighthoods in continental European orders of nobility, such as
Ritter, rather than with knighthoods under the British orders of chivalry. However, unlike the continental orders, the British baronetcy system was a modern invention. Baronet titles cannot be bought and sold by the holder, however they were designed specifically to raise money for the Crown with the purchase of the title. No new Baronetcies have been issued since the 1980's, however there is nothing preventing future monarchs or governments from doing so.
Hereditary Knights
In the British isles Knighthoods are not hereditary, with the exception of three Irish hereditary knighthoods created for their kinsmen by the Earls of Desmond. Since 2011, all but one of the knighthoods are dormant. The only active one being the Knight of Kerry (Green Knight) – the holder is Sir Adrian FitzGerald, 6th Baronet of Valencia, 24th Knight of Kerry. Unlike other knighthoods they do not entitle the holder to the title 'Sir', but rather 'Knight'.
Knighthoods
Knighthoods in the UK are typically honours associated with orders of chivalry, with knights ranking in accordance with these orders. The exception is the lowest tier of knighthood
Knight Bachelor which is not associated with any order.
Historically the rank of Knight banneret (knights created by the sovereign on the field of battle) also existed, though it is disputed by historians whether any have been created since the time of George I. Traditionally these knights would rank above all other members of the gentry, including Baronets (or directly below Baronets depending on the terms of creation).
Barons in Scotland
In Scotland, a '
baron' or 'baroness' is a hereditary title of honour
in the Baronage of Scotland, but distinct from peerages. Historically called
Feudal baron but in 2004, the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act abolished all feudal aspects of baronies while preserving the nobility and dignity of the titles. Today, baronies are non-territorial personal titles, otherwise known as incorporeal hereditaments, just like hereditary peerages,
Baronet and coat of arms but unlike them, can be transferred outside the bloodline or bequeathed to an appointed heir.
Higher ranks within the Baronage of Scotland, such as lordship, earldom, marquessate, and dukedom, exist but are less common. Innes of Learney, a noted heraldic authority and former Lord Lyon King of Arms representing the monarch in Scotland, stated that Scottish barons are equivalent to Continental barons.
The Barony of the Bachuil is a unique Scottish barony in two regards: firstly, because it belongs to whoever is the legal possessor of a particular ancient stick, and secondly, because it is held "By the Grace of God" making its holder the only person other than the King entitled to this style. The title is in the possession of the Chief of Clan Livingstone. The Barony is therefore considered to be Allodial title and not of feudal origin.
In contrast, feudal baronies including recognition for the titles were abolished in England and Ireland much earlier in the 16th century, having been replaced with peerage barons. Unlike in Scotland the lowest rank of the peerage being Lord of Parliament and baron being a territorial rank of nobility. In Scotland, feudal baronies were abolished 2004, but with full continued legal recognition for the titles.
Esquires and Gentlemen
Esquires
The rank of Esquire in the British isles was historically a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank than that of gentlemen. It dated from the military rank of
squire, who was a personal attendant to a knight. In a more modern sense it served as a category indicating "candidates for knighthood", and was therefore typically associated with certain professions (such as judges, justices of the peace, and
High sheriff). It was also associated with lords of the manor (who made up the traditional 'squirearchy'), as well as certain personal attendants and courtiers to the King, and those who had been presented with a Collar of Esses.
In a contemporary sense, Esquire is often used as a courtesy title in formal address, appended to a man's name when no other title is used, however this does not imply the recipient is actually considered to be at the rank of esquire. The heraldic authorities have specific criteria for whom they consider to be an esquire.
Sons of Peers, the primogeniture heirs of Knights as well as the heirs of certain individuals created such by the Crown are Esquires. A rare hereditary variety of English esquire is found in the West Country, primarily in Devonshire, called White Spur. Though it is possible there remain White Spur families in existence, the title is now not used. The form of usage or style was: "(Surname) the White Spur".
Gentlemen
The untitled nobility consists first and foremost of all those who bear formally matriculated, or recorded, armorial bearings (a coat of arms).
the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
both consider armorial bearings as the main, if not sole, mark of gentility (untitled nobility) in Britain. Those who are noble but have no higher title or rank are Gentlemen. The next-higher rank is that of Esquire, which is usually not considered a title.
The only kind of gentility that is transmitted to all descendants (in the male line) is that established by a grant, matriculation or confirmation of arms. Men entitled to arms are archaically called gentlemen of coat armour. Lyon Innes of Learney introduced the term Noblesse referring specifically to the Scottish armigerous gentry, but it is unpopular with some modern heraldic enthusiasts.
In Scotland, arms are only transmitted by primogeniture and younger sons must matriculate differenced arms. Nevertheless, male-line descendants of an armiger who have not yet matriculated differenced arms are usually also considered gentlemen by birth.
Certain offices and ranks confer gentility or even the rank of Esquire for life or for the duration of office. This includes barristers, professors, doctors, military officers and senior civil servants. Those who hold or have held personal gentility or the designation of Esquire by office are generally considered eligible for a grant of arms and can thus obtain hereditary gentility fairly easily.
Eligibility for a grant of arms can also be established by social status alone. There are no fixed criteria but it is generally understood that only a minority of those who would theoretically be entitled to a grant make use of the possibility.
A grant of arms made to a person who is not a subject of the King, i.e. not a citizen of a Commonwealth realm, does not constitute the recipient a member of the British gentry. However, later naturalisation has constitutive effect and a new warrant is not needed, unlike for turning a honorary knighthood into a substantive one.
Clan Chiefs
Scottish and Irish Clan chiefs and chieftains form a rank of nobility. The title is hereditary but succession is more flexible than with most other titles. In Scotland, only those recognised as such by the Lord Lyon are considered legitimate Chiefs and there is a
procedure for
Armigerous clan to choose one.
Feudal Titles
Prior to the creation of the peerage, the nobility of the British isles was predominantly ordered according to feudalism. Feudal titles are the only titles that can be bought and sold freely by the holder, and are also not considered honours. For the most part there is no longer a formal tie between land and feudal titles in either England or Scotland, however many feudal titles are still connected to land rights. For example, the Marquess of Salisbury owns the mineral rights below Welwyn Garden City, not because of the peerage, but because he also owns the separate historic feudal title "Lord of the Manor of Hatfield" which granted these rights. Many feudal titles are still in the possession of noble families, and noble individuals owning Scottish baronies formerly enjoyed heraldic privileges. Some feudal titles held by
Serjeanty include (now) ceremonial offices of state, for example the King's Champion is an office held by the Lord of the Manor of Scrivelsby in Lincolnshire. It is debated whether any feudal title alone can in the present era afford nobility. In theory for example, a Lord of the Manor holds the rank of Esquire, but would only be considered noble if they also held a coat of arms, and the possession of such a title does not always guarantee eligibility.
Lords of the Manor
The historically feudal title Lord of the manor continues to exist in England to this day, and the status of lord of the manor is often associated with the rank of
esquire by prescription. Landed Lords of the Manor historically made up the majority of the gentry in England. A lordship of the manor does not entitle the holder to the title of 'Lord'. Ownership can be noted on request in British passports through an official observation worded, 'The Holder is the Lord of the Manor of place'.
Lairds
In Scotland, the approximate equivalent title to Lord of the manor is
Laird. This rank is held only by those holding official recognition in a territorial designation by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. They are usually styled name surname of lairdship. The title of Laird cannot be acquired by purchasing a
souvenir plot and Lord Lyon warns against the activities of companies purporting to confer it that way. Lairdships do not confer nobility in themselves if the Laird does not petition for a grant of arms, and the possession of such a title does not guarantee eligibility.
Seigneuries
In the Channel Islands, there are
Seigneur. The most notable Seigneur is that of Sark, who until recently enjoyed considerable legal privileges. Feudalism has retained a more prominent role in the Channel Islands than in the UK. The Channel Islands are remnants of the Duchy of Normandy and are held directly by the crown on a feudal basis as they are self-governing possessions of the British Crown. The 'Squirearchy' or seigneurial class has been paramount in the social hierarchy of Jersey and Guernsey for many centuries, and some of its members still participate annually in the Court of Chief Pleas in Guernsey and the Assize d'Heritage in Jersey. Seigneurs were (and are) commonly referred to by the names of their fiefs. Purchasing a Channel Island fief is possible for anyone, regardless of nationality or citizenship. However, this occurs infrequently, as fiefs tend to pass down within families.
Others
Descendants in the male line of peers and children of women who are peeresses in their own right, as well as of
,
,
, and of non-armigerous landowning families are typically considered members of the gentry informally but must apply for a grant of arms to join a formal nobility association. Their social status will typically make them eligible for a grant.
Lists and articles
Baronets (styled as Sir)
Hereditary knights (styled as Sir)
Knights (styled as Sir)
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Knight, from Old English cniht ("boy" or "servant"),
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British honours system
Dames
Scottish designations
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Titles in the Baronage of Scotland
[Ruling of the Court of the Lord Lyon (26/2/1948, 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".]
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Noblesse
Untitled members of the gentry
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Esquire (ultimately from Latin scutarius, in the sense of shield bearer, via Old French esquier) - comparable to the French-Belgian ecuyer, Dutch jonkheer and German Edler
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Gentleman - the lowest rank and lowest common denominator of British nobility
Ennoblement
The Monarch grants Peerages, Baronetcies and Knighthoods to citizens of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realms at the advice of the Prime Minister. Honours lists are published regularly at important occasions. Hereditary titles have been seldom conferred on non-royals since 1965.
Untitled nobility, i.e. gentility, being identical to , falls into the jurisdiction of the College of Arms and Lyon Court. Part of the Monarch's fons honorum—the power to grant arms—has been de facto devolved to Garter King of Arms and Lord Lyon King of Arms, respectively. A grant of arms is in every regard equivalent to a patent of nobility on the Continent; depending on jurisdiction and circumstances it can be seen as either an act of ennoblement or a confirmation of nobility.
Thus, along with Belgian nobility and Spanish nobility, the United Kingdom remains one of the few countries in which nobility is still granted and the nobility (except for the hereditary peerage and baronetage) does not form a closed, purely "historical" class.
Positions requiring nobility
There is a number of positions, such as ceremonial offices in government, in public organisations and membership in orders of chivalry, that require existing nobility. Usually, the requirement can be satisfied by obtaining a new grant.
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Sheriffs of the City of London must be armigerous. This requirement can be satisfied by a new grant. One must have been a Sheriff to become the ceremonial Lord Mayor of London.
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Knights of Justice of the Venerable Order of Saint John must be armigerous. This requirement can be satisfied by a new grant.
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Admission to the Order of the Garter also requires a right to arms. This requirement can be satisfied by a new grant.
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Knights of Grace and Devotion in the British Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta must demonstrate 100 years of gentility in the male line. For Knights of Honour and Devotion, either 300 years of gentility in the male line or four armigerous grandparents are required. Newer armigers and non-armigers are admitted as Knights of Magistral Grace. There have been cases in which sons of Scottish heraldic heiresses were admitted to the noble grades based on maternal descent from a sufficiently ancient family.
History
Early English period
In the 5th century,
Germanic peoples collectively known as
Anglo-Saxons migrated to sub-Roman Britain and came to dominate the east and southeast of the island. Around half the population were free, independent farmers () who cultivated a hide of land (enough to provide for a family). Slaves, mostly native
Celtic Britons, made up the other half. By the late 6th century, the archeological evidence (grander burials and buildings) suggests the development of a social elite. The Late Antique Little Ice Age and the Plague of Justinian may have caused famine and other societal disruptions that compelled previously independent farmers to submit to the rule of strong lords. The Old English word for
lord is hlaford ( or ).
The early law codes of Kent use the Old English word eorl]] (, ) to describe an aristocrat. By the 8th century, the word gesith (; ) had replaced eorl as the common term for a nobleman.
By the 10th century, Anglo-Saxon society was divided into three main social classes: slaves, ceorlas (), and þegnas (, ). Thegn (Old English: þeġn) meant servant or warrior, and it replaced the term gesith in the 10th century. In 1066, there were an estimated 5,000 thegns in England. Thegns were the backbone of local government and the military. were drawn from this class, and thegns were required to attend the shire court and give judgment. For these reasons, historian David Carpenter described thegns as "the country gentry of Anglo-Saxon England".[ quoted in .]
Thegns were divided into three ranks: ealdormen, king's thegns, and median thegns. The ealdorman was an official appointed by the king to administer a shire or group of shires (an ealdormanry). In the 11th century, while England was ruled by a Danish dynasty, the office changed from ealdorman to earl (related to Old English eorl and Scandinavian jarl). After the king, the earl was the most powerful secular magnate. During Edward the Confessor's reign (1042–1066), there were four principal earldoms: Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia. Below ealdormen were king's thegns, so called because they only served the king. The lowest thegnly rank were the median thegns who owed service to other thegns.
High-ranking members of the church hierarchy (, and ) paralleled the secular aristocracy. The church's power derived from its spiritual authority as well as its virtual monopoly on education. Secular government depended on educated clergy to function, and were important politicians and royal advisers in the witan (the king's council).
Norman period (1066–1154)
The
Norman Conquest of 1066 marked the creation of a new, French-speaking
Anglo-Normans aristocracy with estates in both Normandy and England. This cross-
English Channel aristocracy also included smaller groups originating from other parts of France, such as
Brittany, Boulogne, and Flanders.
When William I () confiscated the property of the old Anglo-Saxon nobility, he kept 17 percent of the land as his royal demesne (now the Crown Estate). The rest was given to the Conqueror's companions and other followers. According to the Domesday Book of 1086, the rest of the land was distributed as follows:
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50 percent went to greater tenants-in-chief
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25 percent went to the church
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8 percent went to minor royal officials and lesser tenants-in-chief
Land was distributed according to the rules of feudalism. Vassals were granted in return for military service and counsel. These vassals were called tenants-in-chief because they held land directly from the king. According to Domesday Book, there were 1,100 tenants-in-chief in 1086. Those with estates worth over £30 a year were considered the greater tenants-in-chief. Those with smaller estates were considered the lesser tenants-in-chief.
The greater tenants-in-chief constituted the highest ranks of the Anglo-Norman aristocracy: earls and the king's barons . The Normans continued to use the title of earl and equated it with the title of count (Latin: comes) used in Normandy. This was the only hereditary title before 1337, and it was the most exclusive rank within the aristocracy. Between 1000 and 1300, there were never more than 25 extant earldoms at any one time.
Below earls were the king's barons. Baron (Latin: baro) originally meant "man". In Norman England, the term came to refer to the king's greater tenants-in-chief. King's barons corresponded to king's thegns in the Anglo-Saxon hierarchy. Baron was not yet a hereditary title but rather described a social status.
The estate of an earl or baron was called an honour. Domesday Book identifies around 170 greater tenants-in-chief, and the ten wealthiest among them owned 25 percent of the land:
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Robert of Mortain, the earl of Cornwall
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Odo of Bayeux, the earl of Kent
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William FitzOsbern, the earl of Hereford
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Roger de Montgomery, the earl of Shrewsbury
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William de Warenne, the earl of Surrey
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Hugh d'Avranches, the earl of Chester
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Eustace II, the count of Boulogne
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Richard fitz Gilbert
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Geoffrey of Coutances
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Geoffrey de Mandeville
Domesday Book also records around 6,000 under-tenants. Earls and barons granted land to their own vassals in a process called subinfeudation. Their most important vassals were honorial barons, who were of lesser status than king's barons . They corresponded to the lesser thegn of Anglo-Saxon England. Honorial barons were given Manorialism in return for service and had their own tenants. For this reason, they were intermediate or . These could also be wealthy and powerful, with some eclipsing the lesser important king's barons.
The lower ranks of the aristocracy included the landless younger sons of important families and wealthier (men who held substantial land by knight-service). Poorer knights (whose knight's fees were small) were likely excluded from the aristocracy.
13th century
By 1300, the knightly class or
Landed gentry numbered around 3,000 landholders. Half of these were
Accolade knights, while the other half were styled
esquire. The
banneret was ranked below a baron but above a regular knight. There was overlap between this group and the "lesser barons".
The baronage (including barons, earls, and high-ranking churchmen) had a duty as tenants-in-chief to provide the king with advice when summoned to Magnum Concilium. In the 1200s, the great council evolved into Parliament, a representative body that increasingly asserted for itself the right to consent to taxation. Initially, participation in Parliament was still determined by one's status as a tenant-in-chief. Earls and greater barons received a writ of summons issued directly from the king, while lesser barons were summoned through the local sheriffs.
20th century
Non-hereditary positions began to be created again in 1867 for
Law Lords. In 1958, the Life Peerages Act 1958 enabled (non-hereditary)
to sit in the House of Lords, and from then on the creation of
rapidly became obsolete, almost ceasing after 1964. This is only a convention, and was not observed by prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who asked
Elizabeth II to create three hereditary peerages (two of them, to men who had no heirs). Until changes in the twentieth century, only a proportion of those holding Scottish and Irish peerages were entitled by that title to sit in the House of Lords; these were nominated by their peers.
Until constitutional reforms soon after Tony Blair came to power (the House of Lords Act 1999), possession of a title in the peerage (except Irish) entitled its holder to a seat in the House of Lords. Since then, only 92 hereditary peers are entitled to sit in the House of Lords, of which 90 are elected by the hereditary peers by ballot and replaced on death. The two exceptions are the Earl Marshal (a position held by the Dukes of Norfolk), who is responsible for certain ceremonial functions on state occasions, and the Lord Great Chamberlain (a position held in gross and one of a number of persons can hold it), who serves as the monarch's representative in Parliament and accompanies them on certain state occasions; both are automatically entitled to sit in the House. Typically, those due to inherit a peerage—or indeed have done so, in recent times—have been educated at one of the major public schools, such as Eton College, Radley College, Oundle School, Winchester or Harrow School.
A member of the House of Lords cannot simultaneously be a member of the House of Commons. In 1960, Tony Benn inherited his father's title as Viscount Stansgate. He fought and won the ensuing by-election, but was disqualified from taking his seat until the Peerage Act 1963 was passed enabling hereditary peers to renounce their titles. Titles, while often considered central to the upper class, are not always strictly so. Both Captain Mark Phillips and Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the respective first and second husbands of Princess Anne, do not hold peerages. Most members of the British upper class are untitled.
Territorial Designations
The term "Territorial Designation" can have one of two meanings, either referring to the name (or part of the name) of a British title, or to a portion of the surname recognised in Scotland.
Peerages and Baronetcies
The name adopted by the grantee of a title of nobility originally was the name of his seat or principal manor, which often had also been adopted as his surname, for example the Berkeley family seated at
Berkeley Castle had the surname "de Berkeley" ("from Berkeley") and gained the title
Baron Berkeley, amongst many others. Dukes were originally named after counties, the earliest one being Duke of Cornwall (1337) followed by Duke of Norfolk (1483) and Duke of Somerset (1547). The Duke of Wellington (1814) is an early example of a dukedom being named after a mere village, or manor, after Wellington in Somerset.
Earls, being in reality the "Count" of Continental Europe, were also named after the County over which they exercised control. The range of names adopted for titles gradually expanded from territorial names alone. Later titles used a wide variety of names, including surname (unrelated to territorial designation indicated by the French particule de), for example in 1547 Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich. Edward Russell in 1697 was created Viscount Barfleur after a naval victory in foreign territory, setting a precedent which has been repeatedly followed.[Cokayne, G. E.; H. A. Doubleday & Lord Howard de Walden, eds. (1945). The Complete Peerage, or a history of the House of Lords and all its members from the earliest times (Oakham to Richmond). 10 (2nd ed.). London: The St. Catherine Press, p.80, note (a)] Later earldoms also adopted family names, and omitted the preposition "of", an early example being
Earl Rivers[Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Rivers, Earl". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 385.] created in 1466 for Richard Woodville, 1st Baron Rivers. The title was not derived from the name of a place, but from the family name de Redvers, or Reviers, Earls of Devon. Earl Ferrers was created in 1711 for Robert Shirley, 14th Baron Ferrers, whose earlier title was named after the de Ferrers family, or Norman origin. Another early example of a surname being used as a title is Earl Poulett (1706).
Modern life peers do not generally own large estates, from which to name their title, so more imagination is required, unless the simple option of using the surname is selected.
In Scotland
In Scotland, landowners may style themselves with a territorial designation, becoming "Firstname Lastname of Estatename", if recognised as such by Lord Lyon. To qualify, an estate must be located "outwith a burgh" (i.e. outside a city) and furthermore be of a certain size, as well as have a name (which becomes the territorial designation). Once recognised, the territorial designation becomes a part of the surname. It is heritable by primogeniture under male preference, just like most old Scottish dignities in absence of a different disposition by the holder; all daughters but only the eldest son may use it by courtesy. If a family holds on to an estate for three generations, its territorial designation will continue to be inherited even if the estate is sold.
Many heads of ancient Scottish families, including some peers, clan chiefs and barons, prefer to be known by their territorial designation.
Irish and Gaelic nobility
Outside the United Kingdom, the remaining Gaelic nobility of Ireland continue informally to use their provincial titles, few are recognised as royal extraction by the British Royal Family such as O'Donovan family. As
Ireland was nominally under the overlordship of the English Crown for between the 12th and 16th centuries, the Gaelic system coexisted with the British system. A modern survivor of this coexistence is the
Baron Inchiquin, still referred to in Ireland as the Prince of Thomond. The Prince of Thomond is one of three remaining claimants to the non-existent, since the 12th century, High Kingship of Ireland, the others being The O'Neill, MacCarthy Mor dynasty and the O'Conor Don.
Chief of the Name was a clan designation which was effectively terminated in 1601 with the collapse of the Gaelic order, and which, through the policy of surrender and regrant, eliminated the role of a chief in a clan or sept structure. This does not mean there is no longer a Chief or a sept today. Contemporary individuals today designated or claiming a title of an Irish chief treat their title as hereditary, whereas chiefs in the Gaelic order were nominated and elected by a vote of their kinsmen. Modern "chiefs" of tribal septs descend from provincial and regional kings with pedigrees beginning in Late Antiquity, whereas Scottish chiefly lines arose well after the formation of the Kingdom of Scotland, (with the exception of the Clann Somhairle, or Clan Donald and Clan MacDougall, the two of royal origins). The related Irish Mór ("Great") is sometimes used by the dominant branches of the larger Irish dynasties to declare their status as the leading princes of the blood, e.g.MacCarthy Mor dynasty, lit. (The) Great Macarthy or
Ó Néill Mór, lit. (The) Great O'Neill.
Following the Norman invasion of Ireland several Hiberno-Norman families adopted Gaelic customs, the most prominent being the De Burgh dynasty and FitzGerald dynasty; their use of Gaelic customs did not extend to their titles of nobility, as they continuously utilized titles granted under the authority of the English monarchy.
Jewish nobility
Black British nobility
Gallery
File:Lady Margaret Beaufort.jpg|Lady Margaret Beaufort
File:Elizabeth de Clare.jpg|Elizabeth de Clare
File:Bishop William Smyth.jpg|William Smyth
File:Unknown woman, formerly known as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury from NPG retouched.jpg|Margaret, Countess of Salisbury
File:Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex from NPG.jpg|Walter, 1st Earl of Essex
File:PhilipHowardEarlOfArundel.jpg|Philip, 20th Earl of Arundel
File:Portrait of Sir William Dugdale by Sylvester Harding.jpg|William Dugdale
File:Sir Jonathan Trelawny, 3rd Bt by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg|The Lord Bishop Jonathan Trelawny
File:GeorgeChurchill.jpg|Admiral George Churchill
File:John Erskine from Kneller.jpg|John, Earl of Mar
File:Benedict Leonard Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore (1715).jpg|Benedict Calvert, 4th Baron Baltimore
File:Thomas Forster.gif|Thomas Forster
File:Rev Nicolas Tindal - portrait.jpg|Nicolas Tindal
File:Gen james oglethorpe.jpg|James Oglethorpe
File:Sirjohnacton.jpg|Sir John Acton, 6th Bt
File:Lady Elizabeth Hamilton (1753–1797), Countess of Derby.jpg|Elizabeth, Countess of Derby
File:William Windham by Sir Joshua Reynolds.jpg|William Windham
File:Lord Robert William Manners by William Salter.jpg|Lord Robert Manners
File:Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond and Lennox 1824.jpg|Charles, 5th Duke of Richmond
File:Rowland Egerton-Warburton.jpg|Rowland Egerton-Warburton
File:William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire by George Frederic Watts.jpg|William, 7th Duke of Devonshire
File:Sir William Molesworth, 8th Bt by Sir John Watson-Gordon.jpg|Sir William Molesworth, 8th Bt
File:Lady Jane Erskine.jpg|The Hon Jane Plumer Erskine
File:Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury by George Frederic Watts.jpg|Robert, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
File:John Roddam Spencer Stanhope.jpg|John Roddam Spencer Stanhope
File:24thBarondeRos.jpg|Dudley, 24th Baron de Ros
File:CRMarkham25.jpg|Clements Markham
File:Lorne.jpg|John, 9th Duke of Argyll
File:Laszlo - Winifred Anna Cavendish-Bentinck (née Dallas-Yorke), 6th Duchess of Portland, 1912.jpg|Winifred, Duchess of Portland
File:Simon Joseph Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat.jpg|Simon, 14th Lord Lovat
File:Lady Margaret Sackville.jpg|Lady Margaret Sackville
File:Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby by Sir William Orpen.jpg|Edward, 17th Earl of Derby
File:Thomas Innes of Learney.jpg|Sir Thomas Innes of Learney
File:The 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley Allan Warren.jpg|David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley
File:12th Duke of Grafton Allan Warren.JPG|Henry FitzRoy, 12th Duke of Grafton
See also
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Aristocracy
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British Royal Family
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Forms of address in the United Kingdom
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Gentry
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Honourable
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List of British monarchs
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Noblesse
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Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom
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Order of precedence in England and Wales
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Peerage, an exposition of great detail
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Peerage of England
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Peerage of Great Britain
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Peerage of Ireland
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Peerage of Scotland
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Peerage of the United Kingdom
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British Public Schools
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Welsh peers and baronets
Notes
Citations
Further reading
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Beckett, J. V. The Aristocracy in England 1660-1914 (1986)
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David Cannadine. The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy (1990)
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Collins, Marcus. "The fall of the English gentleman: the national character in decline, c. 1918–1970." Historical Research 75.187 (2002): 90-111 online.
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Lipp, Charles, and Matthew P. Romaniello, eds. Contested spaces of nobility in early modern Europe (Ashgate, 2013).
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Manning, Brian. "The nobles, the people, and the constitution." Past & Present 9 (1956): 42-64 online during 17th century.
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Brian Masters. The Dukes: The Origins, Ennoblement and History of Twenty-six Families (1975; revised ed. 2001)
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Stone, Lawrence. "The Anatomy of the Elizabethan Aristocracy." Economic History Review, 18#1/2, 1948, pp. 1–53. online
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Trevor-Roper, H. R. "The Elizabethan Aristocracy: An Anatomy Anatomized." Economic History Review 3#3 1951, pp. 279–298. online
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Stone, Lawrence. "The Elizabethan Aristocracy-A Restatement." Economic History Review, 4#3 1952, pp. 302–321. online, a famous controversy
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Wasson, Ellis, Born to Rule: British Political Elites (2000)
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Wasson, Ellis, The British and Irish Ruling Class 1660-1945 (2017) 2 vols.
External links
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The Aristocracy, BBC Radio 4 discussion with David Cannadine, Rosemary Sweet & Felipe Fernandez-Armesto ( In Our Time, Jun. 19, 2003)
