A
title is a
prefix or
suffix added to a person's name to signify
either veneration, an official position or a professional or
academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be
inserted between a first and last name (for example,
Graf in
German,
Cardinal in
Catholic usage or clerical titles such as
Archbishop or
Ter in
the
Armenian Apostolic
Church). Some titles are
hereditary.
Academic titles
- Masters
- MA - Master of
Arts
- MBA -
Master of Business Administration
- MPA - Master of
Public Administration
- MBiochem - Master of
Biochemistry
- MChem - Master of
Chemistry
- MDiv - Master of
Divinity
- MEng - Master of
Engineering
- MFA - Master of Fine
Arts
- MPhil - Master of
Philosophy
- MSc - Master of Science
- Magister - Magister
- ThM - Master of Theology
- Bachelor
- BSc - Bachelor of
Science
- BA - Bachelor of Arts
- BEng - Bachelor of
Engineering
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Other
Professional titles
Ecclesiastical titles
Abbess •
Abbot •
Ablak •
Anax •
Archbishop •
Archdeacon
•
Ayatollah •
Blessed •
Bishop •
Bodhisattva •
Brother •
Buddha •
Cantor •
Cardinal •
Catholicos •
Chaplain •
Deacon •
Dean
•
Demiurge •
Elder •
Father •
Friar •
Imam •
Mahdi •
Messiah •
Monsignor •
Mother
Superior •
Mullah •
Nath •
Pastor •
Patriarch •
Pope •
President, especially in
The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints •
Primate •
Prophet
•
Rabbi •
Rebbe •
Reverend •
Rosh
HaYeshiva •
Saint •
Saoshyant •
Sister •
Ter •
Tirthankar •
Vardapet •
Venerable
Devotional titles
Titles for heads of state
Elected or popularly proclaimed
Hereditary
| Male version |
Female version |
Realm
|
Adjective |
Latin |
Examples |
|
| Emperor |
Empress |
Empire |
imperial |
Imperator (Imperatrix) |
Roman Empire,
Byzantine Empire, Ottoman Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Russia , First and Second
French Empire , Austria , Mexico, Brazil , German Empire (none left in Europe after 1918), Empress of India (ceased to be used after
1947 when India was granted
independence from the British
Empire), Japan (the only
remaining enthroned emperor in the world). |
| King |
Queen |
Kingdom |
royal |
Rex (Regina) |
Common in larger sovereign states |
| Viceroy |
Vicereine |
Viceroyalty |
viceroyal |
Proconsul |
Historical: Spanish Empire
(Peru, New Spain, Rio de la Plata, New Granada), Portuguese Empire, (India,
Brazil ), British
Empire |
| Grand Duke |
Grand Duchess |
Grand duchy |
Grand Ducal |
Magnus Dux |
Today:
Luxembourg ; historical: Lithuania , Baden, Finland, Tuscany et al. |
| Archduke |
Archduchess |
Archduchy |
archducal |
Arci Dux |
Historical: Unique only in Austria, Archduchy of Austria; title used
for member of the Habsburg
dynasty |
| Prince |
Princess |
Principality, Princely state |
princely |
Princeps |
Today: Monaco , Liechtenstein , Wales ; Andorra (Co-Princes). Historical: Albania , Serbia |
| Duke |
Duchess |
Duchy |
ducal |
Dux |
There are none left currently. Though historical examples
include Normandy. |
| Count |
Countess |
County |
countly |
Comes |
Most common in the Holy Roman
Empire, translated in German as Graf;
historical: Barcelona, Brandenburg, Baden, numerous others |
| Baron |
Baroness |
Barony |
Baronial |
Baro |
There are normal baronies and sovereign baronies, a sovereign
barony can be compared with a principality, however, this is an
historical exception; sovereign barons no longer have a sovereign
barony, but only the title and style |
| Pope |
Popess |
Papacy |
papal |
Papa |
Monarch of the Papal States and later Sovereign of the State of Vatican City |
The pope is the Bishop of Rome (a celibate office always forbidden
to women), in English however, reports of female popes such as
(
Pope Joan) refer to them as
pope
and
Popess is used, among other
things, for the second trump in the
Tarot deck
; some European
languages also have a feminine form of the word pope, such as the
Italian papessa, the French
papesse
, and the German Päpstin
Historical titles for heads of state
The following are no longer officially in use, though some may be
claimed by former regnal dynasties.
Appointed
Elected or popularly declared
Hereditary
When a difference exists below, male titles are placed to the left
and female titles are placed to the right of the slash.
- Asia
- Arasan/Arasi - Tamil
Nadu
(India), Sri
Lanka
- Bayin
- The title given to the king of pre colonial Burma
- Phrabat Somdej Phrachaoyuhua
- King of Thailand (Siam), the
title literally means "The feet of the Greatest Lord who is on the
heads (of his subjects)" (This royal title doesn't refer directly
to the king himself but to his feet, according to traditions.)
- Druk Gyalpo —
hereditary title given to the king of Bhutan
- Chakrawarti Raja - India Sri Lanka
- Chogyal — "Divine Ruler" — ruled Sikkim
until 1975
- Datu - pre-colonial Philippines
- Engku or Ungku
- Malaysia
, to denote particular family lineage akin to
royalty
- Huángdì - Imperial China
(Emperor)
- Hwangje - Self-styled
Korean "emperor"; states that unified Korea
- Hoang De -
Self-styled Vietnamese "emperor"; unified Vietnam
- Meurah - Aceh before Islam
- Maha raja/feminine
form is Maharani- Emperor, Emperess India, Sri Lanka
- Racha - Thailand same meaning as Raja
- Raja - pre-colonial Philippines
- Raja - Malaysia, Raja denotes royalty in Perak and certain Selangor
royal family lineages, is roughly equivalent to Prince or
Princess
- Raja - Nepal King
- Rani - Nepali Queen
- Hari - Filipino title for king
- Patabenda - Sub-
king Sri
lanka
- Preah Karuna Preah Bat Sâmdech
Preah Bâromneath - King of
Cambodia Khmer , the title
literally means "The feet of the Greatest Lord who is on the heads
(of his subjects)" (This royal title doesn't refer directly to the
king himself but to his feet, according to traditions.)
- Qaghan - Central Asian Tribes
- Saopha - Shan, king of Shan, today as a part
of Myanmar
- Susuhanan - the Indonesian
princely state of Surakarta until its abolition
- Shahinshah or
Padshah or Badshah-
Persian
/Iranian
"King of
Kings" or Persian rulers in Hindustan(India)
- Shah - Persian/Iranian and Afghanistan and
Tajikistan King
- Sheikh - Arabic
traditional regional leader, principalities of (Bahrain
, Kuwait
, Qatar
, UAE
)
- Sultan/Sultana - Arabic King (present Oman
and former
Ottoman Empire)
- Aceh
, Brunei
Darussalam
, Java
, Oman, Malaysia, Sultan is the title of seven (Johor, Kedah,
Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, and Terengganu) of the nine
rulers of the Malay states.
- Syed or
Shariffah - Malaysia, descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad;
Syed/Sharifah in Perlis if suffixed by the royal clan name, is
roughly equivalent to Prince or Princess
- Tennō or Mikado - Japan
- Tengku - Malaysia, Indonesia
, Tengku (also spelled Tunku in Johor, Negeri
Sembilan, Kedah and Deli Sultanate of Indonesia is roughly
equivalent to Prince or Princess
- Veyndhan, ko/Arasi - Tamil Nadu(India)
- Wang
(King) - pre-Imperial China. In China
, "king" is
the usual translation for the term wang 王.
- Wang - States of Korea
that did not have control over the entire peninsula.
- Vuong - States in
Vietnam that did not control the entire realm.
- Yang di-Pertuan Agong -
Monarch of Malaysia, elected each five years among the reigning
Sultan of each Malaysian state
- Europe
- Arqa/Thagavor - Armenian King
- Germanic king
- Basileus - Greek ruler
- Despot,
a Byzantine court title, also granted in
the states under Byzantine influence, such as the Latin Empire, Bulgaria
, Serbia, and the
Empire of Trebizond.
- Vezér - Ancient Hungarian
- Fejedelem - Ancient/Medieval
Hungarian
- Tsar - the ruler of Imperial Russia
- Vojvoda (Serbian)/Vajda (Hungarian) - Serbian/Hungarian/Romany Title
- Domn (in Romanian)
/Gospodar (in Old Slavonian) - Medieval Romania (Moldova
, Wallachia)
- Rí,
Rúirí, Rí Rúireach and Ard Rí - King,
local overking, regional King, and High King in pre-Norman Ireland
- Kniaz'/Knyaginya/Knez/Knjeginja
(generally translated as "prince") - Kievan Rus'/Serbia
- Kaiser - Imperial Germany
- Tsar/Tsaritsa - Bulgaria, pre-imperial
Russia, Serbia
- Kunigaikshtis
(Kunigaikštis) - Lithuanian, duke as in Grand Duchy of
Lithuania.
- Župan sometimes Veliki Župan (Grand
Župan) - Serbia, Croatia
- Autocrator Greek term for the
Byzantine Emperor
- Oceania
- Chieftain - Leader of a tribe or
clan.
- Tu i or tui - there were/are also kings in
Oceania (i.e. Tonga
, Wallis and
Futuna
, Nauru)
- hou eiki, matai,
ali i, tūlafale,
tavana, ariki - usually
translated as "chief" in various Polynesian countries.
- "Mo'i" normally translated as King is a title used by Hawaiian
monarchs since unification in 1810. The last person to hold that
title was Queen Lili'uokalani.
Fictional titles for heads of state
Honorary titles granted by heads of state
Current
- Consort (The husband of a queen
who rules in her own right is known as a Prince Consort)
- Chamberlain (from which
come the titles Grand Chamberlain,
Lord Chamberlain, and Lord Great Chamberlain)
- Champion (mostly archaic, but the
United Kingdom does still maintain an official Queen's Champion)
- Marshal (from which come Air Chief Marshal, Air Marshal, Air
Vice Marshal, Earl Marshal,
Field Marshal, Grand Marshal, Hereditary Marshal, and Reich Marshal)
- Aide-de-camp
- Equerry
- Duke (the feminine equivalent is Duchess)
- Marquis or Marquess (the feminine equivalent is Marchioness or Marquise)
- Count (the feminine equivalent is Countess)
- Earl (used in the
United
Kingdom instead of Count, but the
feminine equivalent is Countess)
- Viscount (feminine equivalent is
Viscountess, from the same root as
Count)
- Baron (the feminine equivalent is Baroness)
- Baronet (the feminine equivalent is
Baronetess)
- Chevalier
- Dame (The French term of respect Madame came from the same root. The masculine
equivalent of a Dame is a Knight, although a Knight uses the title
Sir rather than Knight before his name. Some
knights, such as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter or Knight Grand
Cross of the Most Honorable Order of
the Bath, place their full title after their name)
- Lady (from which come First Lady and the anachronistic Second Lady; the masculine equivalent of Lady is
Lord, from which come First Sea Lord and Lord of the Manor)
- Honorable (from which comes Right Honorable)
Historical
- Augusta (The masculine
equivalent is Augustus)
- Knyaz
- Comes
- Concubine (The Chinese imperial
system, for instance, had a vastly complex hierarchy of titled
concubines and wives to the emperor)
- Ras (which translates as Head)
- Bitwoded (translates as Beloved)
- Fitawrari (translates as Leader of the
Vanguard)
- Dejazmach (translates as Commander of
the Gate)
- Kenyazmach (translates as Commander
of the Right)
- Gerazmach (translates as Commander of
the Left)
- Graf (roughly a German
equivalent
to the English Earl, but broken down into Altgraf, Burggraf, Freigraf, Landgraf,
Markgraf, Pfalzgraf, Raugraf,
Reichsgraf, Rheingraf, Vizegraf, and
Wildgraf. The feminine equivalent of
a Graf is a Gräfin)
- Gentleman (used as a title is such
forms as Gentleman at Arms,
Gentleman of the
Bedchamber, and Gentleman Usher.
The feminine equivalent of a Gentleman is a Gentlewoman, or, in some circumstances, a
Lady.)
- Hidalgo
- Don (the feminine equivalent is
Doña)
- Sahib
Executive branch of government and other sub-national
rulers
Currently in use
- Abbess (the masculine equivalent is
Abbot)
- Acolyte
- Admiral (from which come Grand Admiral, Lord High Admiral, Rear Admiral, and Vice
Admiral)
- Adjutant
- Agent
- Agister
- Almoner (from which comes Lord High Almoner)
- Ambassador
- Attaché
- Awoamefia
- Bishop (from which come Archbishop, Boy Bishop,
Lord Archbishop, Metropolitan Bishop, and Prince Bishop)
- Brigadier
- Canon
- Cantor
- Captain (from which comes
Group Captain)
- Chancellor (from which come Lord Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor)
- Chaplain
- Chargé d'affaires
- Cock o' the North
- Commander (from which come Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant Commander, and Wing Commander)
- Commissioner (from which come
First Church Estates
Commissioner and High
Commissioner)
- Commodore (from which comes
Air Commodore)
- Comptroller (from which Comptroller General and Comptroller of the
Household)
- Constable (from which come Lord High Constable and Senior Constable)
- Corporal (from which come Lance Corporal and Staff Corporal)
- Courtier
- Curator
- Custos
- Deacon (from which comes Archdeacon)
- Dean
- Denkyerahene
- Docent
- Doyen
- Druid (the United
Kingdom now has an official Archdruid)
- Edohen
- Ekegbian
- Elder
- Elerunwon
- Envoy
- Eze
- Father (from which comes Father of the Nation)
- Fon
- Foreman
- Forester (such as the United Kingdom's
Master Forester)
- General is usually used as a sort of
shorthand for "general military commander". The term's far-reaching
connotation has provoked its use in a very broad range of titles,
including Adjutant General,
Attorney General, Captain General, Colonel General, Director General, Generalissimo, General of the Army, Governor General, Lieutenant General, Lord Justice General, Major General, Resident General, Secretary General, Solicitor General, Surgeon General and Vicar General
- Gentiluomo
- Governor (from which comes Lieutenant Governor)
- Headman
- Herald of Arms
- Intendant (and the related Superintendent)
- Keeper, such as the British queen's
Keeper of the Great
Seal, and Keeper
of the Prince's Privy Seal
- Lama and the related Dalai Lama and Panchen
Lama
- Lamido
- Librarian
- Lieutenant (from which come First Lieutenant, Flight Lieutenant and Lord Lieutenant)
- Major
- Manager (from which
comes General Manager)
- Marcher such as the current Lady Marcher in the United Kingdom
- Mate, more often titled as Chief Mate or First
Mate
- Matriarch (the masculine equivalent is
Patriarch)
- Mayor and related terms such as Lady Mayoress or Lord
Mayor
- Minister from which come
Prime Minister and a very long list
of specific designations in the form "Minister of..."
- Mother (from which come Mother Superior, Queen Mother, and Reverend Mother)
- Msiri
- Mwami
- Nizam
- Oba
- Obi
- Obong
- Officer, a generic sort
of title whose use has spread in recent years into a wide array of
mostly corporate and military titles. These include Air Officer, Chief Academic Officer, Chief analytics officer, Chief Business Development
Officer, Chief Credit
Officer, Chief Executive
Officer, Chief Financial
Officer, Chief Information
Officer, Chief
Information Security Officer, Chief Knowledge Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Chief Risk Officer, Chief Security Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Technical Officer, Chief Warrant Officer, Corporate officer, Customs officer, Field officer, First
Officer, Flag Officer, Flying Officer, General Officer, Intelligence Officer, Junior Warrant Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer,
Master Warrant Officer,
Officer of State, Petty Officer, Pilot
Officer, Police Officer, Political Officer, Revenue Officer, Senior Officer, Ship's Officer, Staff Officer, and Warrant Officer.
- Oliha
- Olowo
- Olu
- Oni
- Prefect
- Prelate
- Premier
- Presbyter
- Priest (from which comes High Priest. The feminine equivalent
is Priestess.)
- Primate
- Principal
- Prior (from which comes Lord Prior)
- Provost
- Pursuivant
- Queen's Remembrancer
- Rangatira
- Ranger
- Rector (from which come Lord Rector and Rector Magnificus)
- Registrar (in a variant
spelling in the title Lord Clerk
Register)
- Risaldar
- Sachem
- Sagamore
- Searcher of the
Sanctuary
- Secretary (from which come Cardinal Secretary of State,
Foreign Secretary, General Secretary, and Secretary of State, as well as a long
list of other titles in the form "Secretary of..." in which
Secretary means the same thing as Minister)
- Seigneur (from which come Monsignor and the French common polite term
Monsieur, equivalent to Mister)
- Sergeant (from which come Sergeant at Mace and Sergeant of Arms
- Sharif
- Shehu
- Sheikh
- Sheriff (from which comes High Sheriff)
- Subaltern
- Subedar
- Timi
- Treasurer (from which come Master Treasurer and Secretary Treasurer)
- Verderer
- Vicar
- Warden (from which come Hereditary Warden and Lord Warden)
- Woodman
Historical
Judicial titles
In current use
Historical
Ovie - King in Urhobo language
Legislative titles
In current use
Historical
Honorary titles granted by an institution
Titles granted by an institution and used in direct address:
- Dame, which comes from the same root as Dominus
- Bearer, such as Hereditary Banner Bearer, Standard Bearer, or Swordbearer
- Coach
- Doctor MD/PhD/JD/LLD
- Friar
- Master is used in many
titles, including old terms for the teachers of social arts:
Dance master, Drawing Master, Fencing Master, and Music Master. It is also used for school titles
such as Deputy Headmaster,
Housemaster, and Schoolmaster, and is the base for Deputy Master, Grandmaster, Guest Master, Joint
Master, Master of the Horse,
Master of the Rolls, Novice master, Queen's Bargemaster, Second Master and Senior Master. In fictional settings, you will
find such characters as Dungeon
Master and Slave Master. Finally,
Master is the original form of Mister and its
related terms- Miss, Missus, and Ms. The feminine
equivalent of Master is Mistress.
- Maid When used as a title before a name,
this is an old way to denote an unmarried woman, such as the
character Maid Marian. The closest
masculine equivalent would probably be Youth
although this has never really been used as a title in the same
way. Young boys used to be addressed as "Master [first name]" --
this was the standard form for servants to address their employer's
minor children.
- Nurse and Nanny
- Professor and its related titles:
Adjunct Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Distinguished Professor, and
Professor Emeritus
- Reverend
- Sayyid
Titles awarded by institutions due to merit but not used in
correspondence:
Honorary job titles in the royal household:
Titles granted by institutions due to position rather than merit
(e.g. job title):
- Apprentice
- Chief butler
- Director This title is used extensively for the leaders of
artistic projects, such as an Animation director, Art director, Artistic director, Casting director, Creative director, Film director, Game
director, Music director,
Television director, Theatre director, and Video Director. Other forms are Director of Operations, Funeral Director, and Technical Director.
- Instructor
- Journeyman
- Lecturer, including Principal Lecturer and Senior Lecturer
- Scout
Honorary titles granted by a mentor with the same title
Honorary titles granted by one's peers
Honorary titles bestowed by followers
See also
Sources
References
External links
are titled Captains
Regent. From this term also came the historical title
Prince Regent.)
is titled a
Paramount Chief
until
1918
is titled Great
Leader. The de facto
head of state of Iran
and Burundi
)
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