Baron is a specific title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Frankish baro meaning "freeman, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman." Baron may mean: baron, a title bestowed or recognised by various rulers or governments of Europe, of Tonga and of Japan. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories corresponding roughly to the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from around 1000 to 1300. ... This article is about the Frankish people and society. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Penis[1], Englisc by its speakers) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ...

Western European feudal and modern titles

Britain

In the British peerage system, barons rank below viscounts, being the lowest rank in the peerage. A female of baronial rank has the honorific baroness. A baron may hold a barony (plural baronies), if the title relates originally to a feudal barony by tenure, although such tenure is now obsolete in England and any such titles are now held in gross, if they survive at all, as very few do, sometimes along with some vestigial manorial rights, or by grand serjeanty. For other uses, see Peerage (disambiguation). ... A viscount is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl (in Britain) or a count (his continental equivalent). ... An office, not being held by serjeanty, or attached to some particular office or title, is said to be in gross. Examples include the Lord Great Chamberlain, the right to carry the spurs at a coronation (vested in the Lord Hastings and the Lord Churston, by descent from the Hastings... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ...

William I introduced "baron" as a rank into England to distinguish the men who had pledged their loyalty to him (see Feudalism). Previously, in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England, the king's companions held the title of earls and in Scotland, the title of thane. All who held their barony "in chief of the king" (that is, directly from William and his successors) became alike barones regis (barons of the king), bound to perform a stipulated service, and welcome to attend his council. Before long, the greatest of the nobles, especially in the marches, such as the Earls of Chester or the Bishops of Durham, might refer to their own tenants as "barons", where lesser magnates spoke simply of their "men" (homines). William I of England (c. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ... An Earl as a member of the British peerage ranks below a Marquess and above a Viscount. ... This article is about the country. ... Map of runestones raised over a thegn. ... Mark or march (or various plural forms of these words) are derived from the Frankish word marka (boundary) and refer to a border region, e. ... The Earldom of Chester is one of the few palatine earldoms in England. ... The Bishop of Durham is the officer of the Church of England responsible for the diocese of Durham, one of the oldest in the country. ...

Initially those who held land direct of the crown by military service, from earls downwards, all alike bore the title of baron, but under Henry II, the Dialogus de Scaccario already distinguished greater (who held in baroniam by knights' service) or lesser baronies (generally smaller single manors). Within a century of the Norman Conquest, as in Thomas Becket's case (1164), there arose the practice of sending to each greater baron a special summons to the council that evolved into the House of Lords, while the lesser barons, Magna Carta (1215) stipulated, would receive summons only in general, through the sheriffs. Thus appeared a definite distinction, which eventually had the effect of restricting to the greater barons the rights and privileges of peerage. Henry II of England 5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154–1189), Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. ... Bayeux Tapestry depicting events leading to the Battle of Hastings The Norman Conquest of England was the conquest of the Kingdom of England by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy), in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman control of England. ... St. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... Magna Carta Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter, literally Great Paper), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Great Charter of Freedoms), is an English charter originally issued in 1215. ... Look up Sheriff in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Later, the sovereign could create a new barony in one of two ways: by a writ of summons directing someone to Parliament, or by letters patent. Writs of summons featured in medieval times, but creation by letters patent has become the norm. Baronies thus no longer directly relate to land ownership, following the Modus Tenendi Parliamenta (1419), the Feudal Tenure Act (1662), and the Fines and Recoveries Act (1834) which enabled such titles to be dis-entailed. Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-06-08, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... Letters Patent by Queen Victoria creating the office of Governor-General of Australia Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government granting an office, a right, monopoly, title, or status to someone or some entity such as...

Scotland

In Scotland, the rank of baron is a rank related to feudal nobility of Scotland and refers to a holder of a feudal barony, a feudal superiority over a proper territorial entity erected into a free barony by a Crown Charter, and not a rank of Peerage. The common Scots term for this position is Laird. The Scottish equivalent of an English baron is a Lord of Parliament. This article is about the country. ... For other uses, see Peerage (disambiguation). ... A Lord of Parliament is a member of the lowest rank of Scottish peerage, ranking below a viscount. ...

In the twentieth century Britain introduced the concept of non-hereditary life peers. All appointees to this distinction have taken place at the rank of baron. In the United Kingdom, Life Peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as hereditary peers). ...

In addition, Baronies are often subsidiary titles, thus being used as courtesy titles by the eldest sons of earls. A courtesy title is a form of address in the British peerage system used for wives, children, and other close relatives of a peer. ...

Style of address

Non-Scottish barons are styled The Right Honourable The Lord [Barony]. Barons' wives are styled The Right Honourable The Lady [Barony]. Baronesses in their own right are either titled The Right Honourable The Baroness [Barony] or The Right Honourable The Lady [Barony], mainly based on personal preference (for an example of the former, see Margaret Thatcher). Right Honourable is frequently abbreviated to Rt Hon. When referred to by the Sovereign in public instruments, The Right Honourable is changed to Our right trusty and well-beloved, with counsellor attached if they are a Privy Counsellor. Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and to date only woman to hold either post. ... Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ...

Courtesy barons are styled simply Lord [Barony], and their wives are Lady [Barony]. The style of Right Honourable is not used for them.

Normally one refers to or addresses Baron X as Lord X and his wife as Lady X. In the case of women who hold baronies in their own right, they can be referred to as Baroness X as well as Lady X. In direct address, they can also be referred to as My Lord or My Lady. The husband of a Baroness in her own right does not receive a style. Children of Barons and Baronesses in their own right, whether hereditary or for life, have the style The Honourable [Forename] [Surname]. After the death of the father or mother, the child may continue to use the style Honourable.

Scottish feudal barons style their surnames similarly to Clan Chiefs, with the name of their barony following their name, as in John Smith of Edinburgh. Traditionally this is extended to: John Smith of Edinburgh, Baron of Edinburgh. Their wives are styled Lady Edinburgh or Jane Smith of Edinburgh, Baroness of Edinburgh. Most formally ( and in writing) they are styled The Much Honoured John Smith of Edinburgh, Baron of Edinburgh. Verbally Scottish barons may be addressed with the name of their barony, as in Edinburgh or else as Baron without anything else following, which if present would suggest a peerage barony. Informally, when referring to a Scots feudal baron in the third person, the name Laird of X is used or simply X.

Coronet

An English Peerage baron is entitled to a coronet bearing six silver balls (or pearls) around the rim. The actual coronet is only worn on certain ceremonial occasions, but a baron can bear his coronet of rank on his coat of arms above the shield. Coin showing a coronet A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ...

Scottish feudal barons are entitled to a red cap of maintenance (chapeau) turned up ermine. The chapeau is identical to the red cap worn by an English baron, but without the silver balls or gilt. This is sometimes depicted in armorial paintings between the shield and the helmet. Additionally, if the baron is the head of a family he may include a chiefly coronet which is similar to a ducal coronet, but with four strawberry leaves.

France

During the Ancien Regime, French baronies were very much like Scottish ones. Feudal landholders were entitled to style themselves baron if they were nobles; a roturier (commoner) could only be a seigneur de la baronnie (lord of the barony). Theses baronies could be sold freely, until the abolition of feudalism in 1789. The title of baron was actually assumed by many petty nobles who did not hold baronies. Napoléon created a new empire nobility, in which baron was the second lowest title. The titles followed a male-only line of descent and could not be purchased. In 1815, King Louis XVIII created a new peerage system based on the British model. Baron-peer was the lowest title, but the heirs to pre-1789 barons could remain barons, as could the elder sons of viscount-peers and youngest sons of count-peers. This peerage was abolished in 1848, though some titles still exist today. Ancien R gime means Old Regime or Old Order in French; in English, the term refers primarily to the social and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties, and secondarily to any regime which shares the formers defining features: a feudal system under the control... A commoner, in British law, is someone who is neither the Sovereign nor a noble. ... Year 1789 (MDCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Bonaparte as general, by Antoine-Jean Gros. ... April 5-12: Mount Tambora explodes, changing climate. ... Louis XVIII (November 17, 1755 - September 16, 1824) was King of France from 1814 (although he declared that he considered his reign to have begun in 1795) until his death in 1824. ... The Peerage of France (French: ) was a distinction within the French nobility which appeared in the Middle Ages. ... Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Germany

In pre-republican Germany all the knightly families (sometimes distinguished by the prefix "von") eventually were recognised as of baronial rank. Families which had always held this status were called Original Nobility, or Uradel, and were heraldically entitled to a seven pointed coronet. Families which had been ennobled at a definite point in time had only five points on their coronet. These families held their titles from their lord. The holder of an allodial (i.e. free-standing) barony was thus called a Free Lord, or Freiherr, and its various variations occupied the same rank as a foreign Baron, exclusively (as in the Holy Roman Empire) or concurrently. Allodial land, or allodium, is literally land which has no lord. ... Free Lord (from Latin: liber dominus or ‘liber baro’), or Freiherr or feudal baron) is a title of feudal nobility in the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Baltic States and Austro-Hungary. ... Freiherr (German for Free Lord) is a title of lower nobility in Germany, the Baltic states and Austria-Hungary, considered equal to the title Baron. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ...

Today there is no legal privilege associated with hereditary titles. The offspring of holders of original titles may choose to distinguish themselves from a later-ennobled family by abbreviating "von" as "v.", however, many baron surnames do not contain any such prefix. Generally, all male members of a baronial family inherited the title Baron equally, and were so called from birth. As a result, it was much easier to inherit a German barony than, say, a French or English one, and the title may therefore be considered to rank below even an English baronet, though higher than an armigerous esquire. An armiger is a person entitled to use a coat of arms. ...

Spain

In Spain the title is immediately inferior to "Vizconde". The wife of the Baron carries the title of "Baronesa". The term Baronesa is also used for the woman that has been bestowd with the title by herself. In general the title of "Baron" previous to the XIX century correspond to the nobility originating from the "Crown of Aragon". The title lost territorial jurisdiction around the middle XIX century and from then on it is used only as an honorific title.

In other languages

The title was quite common in most European countries, in various languages (whether Germanic, Romance, Slavonic or other), often in a slightly modified form. The following list includes the male and female forms and (sometimes) the territorial domain. Notice, especially for the 'alternative' Freiherr-type titles, that the existence of a word does not always imply an actual domestic use: it is often a mere rendering of foreign realities. The Romance languages, also called Romanic languages, are a subfamily of the Italic languages, specifically the descendants of the Vulgar Latin dialects spoken by the common people evolving in different areas after the break-up of the Roman Empire. ... The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) comprise the languages of the Slavic peoples. ...

The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia , and in the city of LAlguer in the Italian island of Sardinia. ... Galician (Galician: galego, IPA: ) is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community with the constitutional status of historic nationality, located in northwestern Spain and small bordering zones in neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castilla y León. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... Luxembourgish (Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuergesch, French: , German: , Walloon: ), also spelled Luxemburgish, is a West Germanic language spoken in Luxembourg. ... Monégasque (or Munegascu) is a Romance language based on Zeneize, the modern Ligurian language; it is spoken in Monaco and taught in schools there. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Penis[1], Englisc by its speakers) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... Romansh (also spelled Rumantsch, Romansch or Romanche) is one of the four national languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian and French. ... // Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Serbian (; ) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs in the Serbian diaspora. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ...

Elsewhere

Like other major Western noble titles, Baron is sometimes used to render certain titles in non-western languages with their own traditions, even though they are necessarily historically unrelated and thus hard to compare, which are considered 'equivalent' in relative rank.

This is the case with China's Nan (男), hereditary title of nobility of the fifth rank (男爵), as well as its derivatives and adaptations:

• the Korean Namjak (男爵) or Chamise
• the Japanese equivalent Danshaku (男爵)
• the Vietnamese equivalent Nam tước

In some republics of continental Europe, the unofficial title of "Baron" retains a purely social prestige, with no particular political privileges. Prestige means good reputation or high esteem. ... This article is about permission granted by law or other rules. ...

In the Polynesian island monarchy of Tonga, as opposed to the situation in Europe, barons are granted this imported title (in English), alongside traditional chiefly styles, and continue to hold and exercise some political power. Much of the recent sociological debate on power revolves around the issue of the constraining and/or enabling nature of power. ...

Furthermore it is customary in Western languages to use the word Baron to render somewhat 'equivalent' ranks in non-related aristocratic hierarchies in exotic cultures.

Fictitious barons

• Baron Marius Pontmercy, a principal character in Victor Hugo's classic novel, and also the popular musical, Les Miserables.
• Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, ruler of House Harkonnen in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert.
• Baron von Munchhausen, hero of the fantastical book by the same title.
• Baron Hardup, in traditional pantomime, a straitened nobleman
• Baron Karza, the archenemy of the Micronauts.
• Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, archenemy of Nick Fury, agent of Shield.
• Baron Bean, a comic strip (1916-1919) drawn by George Herriman of Krazy Kat fame.
• Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen, commonly referred to as just Baron, is a character in the animated movie The Cat Returns.
• Baron Bomburst, Ian Fleming's villainous leader of Vulgaria in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
• Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espys; He is the silly witness in Joel Coen's Intolerable Cruelty (2003), played by Jonathan Hadary.
• Baron von Frankenstein, creator of Frankenstein's monster same title.
• Baron von Raschke, former professional wrestler.
• Baron Soontir Fel, TIE fighter pilot and brother-in-law of Wedge Antilles in the Star Wars continuity.
• Baron Von Trapp, a character in the musical The Sound of Music, is loosely based on Georg, Ritter von Trapp, a hereditary knight, not a baron.
• Baron Von Slagle, first leader who unified the Justinian Empire, as described in the novel Red Skies, Battle Cries by Arnold Henderson
• Baron Silas Greenback, the enemy of Dangermouse in the British animated series Dangermouse

Marius Pontmercy is a principal character in Victor Hugos classic novel Les Miserables. ... Victor-Marie Hugo (IPA: ) (26 February 1802 — 22 May 1885) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights campaigner, and perhaps the most influential exponent of the Romantic movement in France. ... Les Misérables is an 1862 novel by the famous French novelist Victor Hugo, set in the Parisian underworld. ... Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, portrayed by Ian McNeice in the Sci-Fi Channels Dune miniseries The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Emblem of House Harkonnen from Emperor: Battle for Dune For the novel of the same name, see Dune: House Harkonnen. ... The fictional Dune universe, or Duniverse, is the political, scientific, and social setting of author Frank Herberts six-book Dune series of science fantasy novels. ... Frank Patrick Herbert (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. ... Munchhausen could refer to: The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen a book written about the fictional adventures of Baron Münchhausen, a real historical figure. ... The Christmas Pantomime colour lithograph bookcover, 1890 Pantomime (informally, panto) refers to a theatrical genre, traditionally found in Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland, which is usually performed around the Christmas and New Year holiday season. ... // Publishing History The Micronauts was originally a Marvel comic published between 1979 and 1986. ... Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker is a fictional character created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Sgt. ... For the French hip hop artist, see Nikkfurie. ... This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... George Herriman and some of his fans. ... Krazy Kat is a comic strip created by George Herriman that appeared in U.S. newspapers between 1913 and 1944. ... The Cat Returns , lit. ... For other uses, see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (disambiguation). ... This article is about the 1818 novel. ... Baron Von Raschke James Donald Raschke (born 1940 in Omaha, Nebraska) was a professional wrestler best known as Baron Von Raschke. ... TIE Fighter, see X-wing computer game series. ... Wedge Antilles (b. ... This article is about the series. ... For other uses, see The Sound of Music (disambiguation). ... Georg Ritter von Trapp (April 4, 1880 - May 30, 1947) headed the famous Austrian singing family memorialized in the musical The Sound of Music. ... DangerMouse is a British animated television series which was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films. ...

References

• Sanders, I. J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent, 1086–1327. Clarendon Press, 1960.
• Heraldica
• The Royal Ark
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.