Title

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For other uses, see Title (disambiguation).

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.

Contents

Professional and academic titles

Ecclesiastical titles

Devotional titles

Titles for heads of state

Current

Titles currently in use by heads of state and heads of government.

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[1]; 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 Poppess 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.

  • Oceania
    • Chieftain - Leader of a tribe or clan.
    • Tuʻi or tui - there were/are also kings in Oceania (i.e. Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, Nauru)
    • houʻeiki, matai, aliʻi, 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

Historical

Executive branch of government and other sub-national rulers

Currently in use

Historical

Judicial titles

In current use

Historical

Legislative titles

In current use

Historical

Honorary titles granted by an institution

Titles granted by an institution and used in direct address:

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):

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