High Nobility

Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duke), the following is a reasonably comprehensive list that provides information on both general ranks and specific differences. Distinction should be made between reigning (or formerly reigning) families and the nobility – the latter being a social class subject to and created by the former.

Ranks and titles

Sovereign

* The word ''monarch'' is derived from the Greek μονάρχης, ''monárkhēs'', "sole ruler" (from μόνος, ''mónos'', "single" or "sole", and , ''árkhōn'', archon, "leader", "ruler", "chief", the word being the present participle of the verb ἄρχειν, ''árkhein'', "to rule", "to lead", this from the noun ὰρχή, ''arkhē'', "beginning", "authority", "principle") through the Latinized form ''monarcha''.
* The word ''sovereign'' is derived from the Latin ''above''.
* Autocrat is derived from the Greek : ("self") and ("to hold power"), and may be translated as "one who rules by themself".

Common titles for European, Latin American, and Asian monarchs

Note that many titles listed may also be used by lesser nobles – non-sovereigns – depending on the historical period and state. The sovereign titles listed below are grouped together into categories roughly according to their degree of dignity; these being: imperial (Emperor/Empress, etc.), royal (King/Queen, Grand Duke, etc.), others (sovereign Prince, sovereign Duke, etc.), and religious.

=Imperial titles

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*"Emperor" (in English), Imperador (in Portuguese), Emperador (in Spanish) and Empereur (in French), from the Latin Imperator, was originally a military title. Soldiers would salute the leader of a victorious army as 'imperator'. In English, the feminine form is Empress (the Latin is ''imperatrix''). The realm of an emperor or empress is termed an ''Empire''. Other words meaning Emperor include:
**Caesar, the appellation of Roman emperors derived from the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, whose great-nephew and adopted son Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus became the first emperor of Rome. Augustus' four successors were each made the adoptive son of his predecessor, and were therefore legally entitled to use "Caesar" as a constituent of their names; after Nero, however, the familial link of the Julio-Claudian dynasty was disrupted and use of the word ''Caesar'' continued as a title only.
** Kaiser, derived from Caesar, primarily used in Germanic countries. The feminine form in German is Kaiserin.
**Augustus, a Roman honorific title which means 'Venerable' or 'Majestic', used by Roman Emperors from the beginning of the Empire onwards.
** Basileus kai Autokrator, Medieval Greek title meaning "sovereign and autocrat", used by the Greek Byzantine Emperors from the 9th century onwards.
** Tsar / Tzar / Csar / Czar, derived as shortened variant of the Slavic pronunciation of Caesar (''tsyasar''), the feminine form is Tsaritsa, primarily used in Bulgaria, and after that in Russia and other Slavic countries, although in English Tsarina was also sometimes used.
** Huangdi (皇帝), the Imperial monarch during Imperial China.
** Huēyi Tlahtloāni, the Classical Nahuatl term for the ruler of multiple , a pre-Hispanic city-state in Mesoamerica, commonly referring to the head of the Aztec Triple Alliance, or Aztec Empire. It is variously translated in English as "Great Speaker" or the equivalent to the European "great king" or " high king", though more usually as "Emperor".
** Samrat, (Sanskrit: samrāt or सम्राट) is an ancient Indian title meaning 'A paramount sovereign, universal lord'. The feminine form is Samrājñī or साम्राज्ञी.
** Tennō (天皇), which means "heavenly sovereign" in Japanese. Is the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people. Historically, he is also the highest authority of the Shinto religion as he and his family are said to be the direct descendants of the sun-goddess Amaterasu.
**Kōtei (皇帝), Japanese title primarily used for emperors of other nations (e.g. Rome, Russia, Germany). ''Tennō'' refers only to an emperor of Japan, and ''kōtei'' refers to an emperor of any countries.
** Khagan, derived from khan of khans, used by the Central Asian nomads.
*** Tian Kehan（天可汗） meaning Heavenly Khagan. Given to Tang Taizong and Tang Gaozong by Turkic nomads.
** Padishah, Persian ''pād'' "master" and ''shāh'' "king". Used in the Ottoman Empire and the Mughal Empire.
** Shahanshah, Persian title meaning "king of kings". Used by Persian (Iranian monarchs)
** Basileus tōn Basileōn, Ancient Greek title meaning "king of kings", used by Alexander the Great after the similar title of the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia. A translation from Ancient Persian Shahanshah.
** Nəgusä Nägäst, title of the rulers of Ethiopia, meaning "king of kings", used alongside Negus, a royal title in the Ethiopian Semitic languages.
** Mepe-Mepeta, Georgian for "king of kings."
** Omukama, commonly translated as "king of kings", is a title associated with the Bunyoro-Kitara in Uganda. It is also the title of the Omukama of Toro.
** Alaafin, or "Man of the Palace" in the Yoruba language, was the title of the ruler of the medieval Oyo Empire in northwestern Yorubaland. He is considered the supreme overlord of the empire and expected to keep tributaries safe from attack as well as mediate disputes between various kings (Obas) and their people within the Empire.

=Royal titles

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*King, from the Germanic ''*kuningaz'', roughly meaning "son of the people." (See: Germanic kingship) The realm of a King is termed a ''Kingdom'' (sovereign kings are ranked above vassal kings). The female equivalent of a King, or the consort of a King is a Queen, from the Germanic ''*kwoeniz'', or ''*kwenon'', "wife"; cognate of Greek γυνή, ''gynē'', "woman"; from PIE ''*gʷḗn'', "woman". . Regardless of a ruler's gender, their realm is known as a ''kingdom''.
**Rei (in Portuguese and Catalan), Rey (in Spanish), Re (in Italian), Roy (in French), Rege (in Romanian) - Derived from Latin Rex, meaning "ruler". Rex is cognate with Raja, ''Rí'', Reign, Regina, etc.
** Basileus, from Mycenaean Greek meaning "chieftain", used by various Ancient Greek rulers.
** Arka is a royal title (king) in Great Armenia. Another used name was Tagavor, which also appeared later in Cilician Armenia.
**Melech, ancient Hebrew king. The word for queen is Malka.
** Wang （王）, the head of state of Ancient China.
**Król (in Polish) Král (in Czech), Király (in Hungarian), Король (in Russian and Ukrainian), Краљ / Kralj (in Serbian), Крал (in Bulgarian), Crai (in Romanian), Korol – Derived from Old East Slavic Король ''king'', used in Kazakh, Tatar, and Kyrgyz languages. The ''korol'', ''krol'', ''kral'', ''крал'' and ''kiraly'' versions used in Central and Eastern Europe derive from the name of Charlemagne.
** Tsenpo, also known as Ihase or "Divine Son", was the title of the monarchs of Tibet.
**Chanyu, short for Chengli Gutu Chanyu (撐犁孤塗單于) was a title used by supreme nomadic rulers of Inner Asia. Meaning "Son of Heaven, Ruler of the North", it was later superseded by the title Khagan.
**Rí, Gaelic title meaning king, of which there were several grades, the highest being Ard Rí (high king). Cognate with Indian ''Raja'', Latin ''Rex'', and ancient Gaulish ''Rix''.
**Sapa Inca, The Sapa Inca (Hispanicized spelling) or Sapa Inka (Quechua for "the only Inca"), also known as Apu ("divinity"), Inka Qhapaq ("mighty Inca"), or simply Sapa ("the only one"), was the ruler of the Kingdom of Cusco and, later, the King of the ''Tawantinsuyu'' (called Inca Empire by historians) and the Neo-Inca State.
**Raja, Sanskrit, later Hindustani, for "king". Cognate with Latin ''Rex'', Irish ''Rí'', etc. The female equivalent is Rani. The Filipino feminine equivalent is Hara.
***Maharaja, Sanskrit, later Hindustani, for "great king". It's the title of kings in the Indian subcontinent. The feminine equivalent is Maharani.
***Devaraja, literally "god king". A title in the Khmer Empire and throughout Java
***Rai, Sanskrit, meaning Raja, for "king" in the Indian Subcontinent.
***Rana, was used to be a title for martial sovereignty of Rajput rulers in the Indian subcontinent.
**Eze, the Igbo word for the King or Ruler of a kingdom or city-state. It is cognate with Obi and Igwe.
** Oba, the Yoruba word for King or Ruler of a kingdom or city-state. It is used across all the traditional Yoruba lands, as well as by the Edo, throughout Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.
**Kabaka, ruler of Buganda, a realm within Uganda in East Africa.
**Shah, Persian word for king, from Indo-European for "he who rules". Used in Persia, alongside Shahanshah. The title of the sons of a Shah is Shahzade / Shahzadeh. The female title is Shahbanu
**Boqor, Somali for King. However, in practice, it is the primus inter pares or "King of Kings". The title is etymologically derived from one of the Afro-Asiatic Somali language terms for "belt", in recognition of the official's unifying role within the greater society. Furthermore, Boqor is linguistically related to the style ''Paqar'', which was employed by rulers in the early Nile Valley state of Meroe.
**Ō (王), Japanese, meaning "king", or "sovereign". Also the title of the ruler of ancient Japan waō (倭王). The female title is Joō (女王).
**Sultan, from Arabic and originally referring to one who had "power", more recently used as synonym for a king. The feminine equivalent is a Sultana.
** Khan, from the Turco-Mongol word for "ruler" or “king”. A Khan's realm is called a Khanate.
**Malik, Arabic for "king". The feminine equivalent is a Malika.
**Mwami in Rwanda and neighbouring regions in the Congo. The female counterpart is Mwamikazi.
** Almamy, King of Futa Toro, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Toucouleur people. From the old Pulaar title ''"Almamy"'' (king).
**Maad a Sinig, King of Sine, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Serer people. From the old Serer title ''"Maad"'' (king).
**Maad Saloum, ruler of Saloum, a pre-colonial kingdom of the Serer people.
**Susuhunan, "he to whom homage is paid", title of the Javanese monarch of the Surakarta Sunanate.
**Teigne, ruler of Baol, previously a pre-colonial Serer kingdom.
** Tlahtloāni, the Classical Nahuatl term for the ruler of an , a pre-Hispanic city-state in Mesoamerica variously translated in English as "king," "ruler," (or "speaker" in the political sense). A ' is a female ruler, or queen regnant.
**Lugal, is the Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man."
** Xi Chu Ba Wang （西楚霸王） meaning the Hegemon King of Western Chu.
** Taewang, literally "greatest king", a Korean title for the rulers of the Goguryeo Empire.
** Anax, from Mycenaean ''wanax'' for "high king". Outranked ''Basileus'' in Mycenaean usage.
** Pharaoh, ''"Man of the Great House (Palace)"'' used in Ancient Egypt to denote the kings of the upper and lower kingdoms of the Nile river valley.
**Mansa, title of the rulers of the Mali Empire, meaning (King).
**Omanhene or Ohene, an Akan title meaning ''King of the Nation'', with Ohene simply meaning ''King''. Ohemaa, the maternal counterpart (his mother, sister, aunt (''referred to as a 2nd mother''), cousin (''referred to as sister'')), has equal power and selects which son she wants to lead the people. The Akan king rules on behalf of his mother who is the true power of the land. If the Ohemaa doesn't select any male relative to lead on her behalf, then she can take the role as King or Omanhene.
** Mwenematapa, title of the rulers of the Mutapa Empire. It means "Prince of the Realm" in Shona. Also spelled Mwene Mutapa or in Portuguese transliteration Monomotapa.
** Bretwalda, monarchs of Anglo-Saxon England.
** Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the official title of the Malaysian head of state, and means "He who is Made Supreme Lord" and is generally glossed in English as "king". The officeholder is elected from among the heads of the nine royal states.
**Lamane, ''"master of the land"'' or ''"chief owner of the soil"'' in old Serer language were the ancient hereditary kings and landed gentry of the Serer people found in Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. The Lamanes were guardians of Serer religion and many of them have been canonized as Holy Saints (''Pangool'').
** Otumfuo, literally "the powerful one", an Akan title to mean a king. It is thought to originate with the Akan state of Akwamu. It is still used amongst the Akwamu and now the Asante people.

=Princely, ducal, and other sovereign titles

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* Grand vizier was the title of the effective head of government ( prime-minister) of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Sokoto Caliphate, the Safavid Empire and Morocco. In the Ottoman Empire, the Grand Vizier held the imperial seal and could convene all other viziers (ministers) to attend to affairs of the state; the viziers in conference were called "Kubbealtı viziers" in reference to their meeting place, the Kubbealtı ('under the dome') in Topkapı Palace. His offices were located at the Sublime Porte. Today, the Prime Minister of Pakistan is referred to in Urdu as Wazir-e-azam, which translates literally to Grand Vizier
* Khedive (/kəˈdiːv/, Ottoman Turkish: خدیو, romanized: hıdiv; Arabic: خديوي, romanized: khudaywī) was an honorific title of Persian origin used for the sultans and grand viziers of the Ottoman Empire, but most famously for the viceroy of Egypt from 1805 to 1914.
* Grand Duke is considered to be part of the reigning nobility ("Royalty", in German ''Hochadel''; their correct form of address is "Royal Highness").
** Archduke, ruler of an archduchy; used exclusively by the Habsburg dynasty and its junior branch of Habsburg-Lorraine which ruled the Holy Roman Empire (until 1806), the Austrian Empire (1804–1867), the Second Mexican Empire (1863-1867) and the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867–1918) for imperial family members of the dynasty, each retaining it as a subsidiary title when founding sovereign cadet branches by acquiring thrones under different titles (e.g., Tuscany, Modena); it was also used for those ruling some Habsburg territories such as those that became the modern so-called "Benelux" nations (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg); The title was created in 1358 by the Habsburgs themselves to establish a precedence of their princes over the other titleholders of high nobility of the era; therefore the rank was not recognized by the other ruling dynasties until 1453
* Sovereign Prince, from the Latin ''princeps'', meaning "first citizen". The feminine form is Princess. Variant forms include the German ''Fürst'' and Russian '' Knyaz (князь)'' and the feminine form ''Knyaginya (княгиня)''.
**Datu in the Visayas and Mindanao which, together with the term Raja ( in the Rajahnate of Cebu and Kingdom of Maynila) and Lakan (title widely used on the island of Luzon), are the Filipino equivalents of "sovereign prince" and thus, glossed as "ruler". The female equivalent is a Dayang. (Cf. also Principalía – the hispanized and Christianized Datu class during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines.)
*Nizam, The word is derived from the Arabic language Nizām (نظام), meaning order, arrangement. Nizām-ul-mulk was a title first used in Urdu