Count

Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility.^[1] Especially in earlier medieval periods the term often implied not only a certain status, but also that the count had specific responsibilities or offices. The etymologically related English term "county" denoted the territories associated with some countships, but not all.

This article is about the style or title of nobility. For other uses, see Count (disambiguation).

Although the term count was not generally used in England, after the 1066 conquest by the Normans, various European terms for count eventually became the normal translations used for the English title of earl, and the wives of earls are still referred to as countesses.

(English: Dolphin; Spanish: Delfín; Italian: Delfino; Portuguese: Delfim; Latin: Delphinus) was a multiple (though rare) comital title in southern France, used by the Dauphins of Vienne and Auvergne, before 1349 when it became the title of the heir to the French throne. The Dauphin was the lord of the province still known as the région Dauphiné.

Dauphin

Conde-Duque "Count-Duke" is a rare title used in , notably by Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares. He had inherited the title of count of Olivares, but when created Duke of Sanlucar la Mayor by King Philip IV of Spain he begged permission to preserve his inherited title in combination with the new honour—according to a practice almost unique in Spanish history; logically the incumbent ranks as Duke (higher than Count) just as he would when simply concatenating both titles.

Spain

Conde-Barão 'Count-Baron' is a rare title used in , notably by Dom Luís Lobo da Silveira, 7th Baron of Alvito, who received the title of Count of Oriola in 1653 from King John IV of Portugal. His palace in Lisbon still exists, located in a square named after him (Largo do Conde-Barão).

Portugal

Archcount

count of Flanders

In German kingdoms, the title was combined with the word for the jurisdiction or domain the nobleman was holding as a fief or as a conferred or inherited jurisdiction, such as Markgraf (see also Marquess), Landgraf, Freigraf ("free count"), Burggraf, where Burg signifies castle; see also Viscount, Pfalzgraf (translated both as "Count Palatine" and, historically, as "Palsgrave"), Raugraf ("Raugrave", see "Graf", and Waldgraf (comes nemoris), where Wald signifies a large forest) (from Latin nemus = grove).

Graf

The German Graf and Dutch graaf (: grafio) stem from the Byzantine-Greek γραφεύς grapheus meaning "he who calls a meeting [i.e. the court] together").^[7]

Latin

The Ottoman military title of Serdar was used in Montenegro and Serbia as a lesser noble title with the equivalent rank of a Count.

These titles are not to be confused with various minor administrative titles containing the word -graf in various offices which are not linked to feudal nobility, such as the Dutch titles Pluimgraaf (a court , so usually held by noble courtiers, may even be rendered hereditary) and Dijkgraaf (to the present, in the Low Countries, a manager in the local or regional administration of watercourses through dykes, ditches, controls etc.; also in German Deichgraf, synonymous with Deichhauptmann, "dike captain").

sinecure

(in Picardy)

Bishop-counts of Beauvais

(in Champagne)

Bishop-counts of Châlons

Bishop-counts of (in Picardy)

Noyon

until united to the crown in 1271 by marriage

Count of Toulouse

(Flandres in French), which is in the Low countries and was confiscated in 1299, though returned in 1303

Count of Flanders

until united to the crown (in 1316 by marriage, conclusively in 1361)

Count of Champagne

the Bó (伯), or "Bojue" (伯爵), hereditary title of nobility ranking below Hóu (侯) and above Zĭ (子)

Chinese

earl of Britain

the equivalent Hakushaku (伯爵), adapted during the Meiji restoration

Japanese

the equivalent Baekjak (백작) or Poguk

Korean

in , it is rendered Bá, one of the lower titles reserved for male members of the Imperial clan, above Tử (Viscount), Nam (Baron) and Vinh phong (lowest noble title), but lower than—in ascending order—Hầu (Marquis), Công (Prince), Quận-Công (Duke/Duke of a commandery) and Quốc-Công (Grand Duke/Duke of the Nation), all under Vương (King) and Hoàng Đế (Emperor).

Vietnam

the Sardar, adopted by the Maratha Empire, additionally, Jagirdar and Deshmukh are close equivalents

Indian

the equivalent Sheikh

Arabic

In traditional equivalent to Datu Sadja

Sulu

Like other major Western noble titles, Count is sometimes used to render certain titles in non-western languages with their own traditions, even though they are as a rule historically unrelated and thus hard to compare, but which are considered "equivalent" in rank.

This is the case with:

Czech nobility

Icelandic nobility

Romanian nobility

Russian nobility

Viscount

Earl

Labarre de Raillicourt: Les Comtes Romains

Westermann, Großer Atlas zur Weltgeschichte (in German)

Heraldica.org - here the French peerage

Archived 2012-05-27 at the Wayback Machine