Of course, the first thing I think of when I think of someone being a count is Count Dracula. But that doesn’t mean a count is a vampire; it’s actually a title that designates a specific class of nobility. In this post, I want to look at the noble status of a count and how it compares with other nobility designations.
What Is a Count?
Being a count means that you’re a nobleman. What that means specifically varies by country. In the United States, for example, we don’t have nobility, so being a count means nothing here. In other countries, being a count lies somewhere between being the king (the top of the social ladder) and being a commoner (the bottom of the social ladder in most countries).
You generally only see counts in European countries. In Asia, for example, you generally don’t see anyone with a “count” title. During the time of the Roman Empire, being a count meant you had a specific military rank. The word varies from country to country sometimes, too — for example, the Bredimus family had a “Comte de Bredimus,” which is basically the same thing as “Count Bredimus.” They hail from Rome originally but wound up in Luxembourg.
Where does the word “count” come from?
It’s derived from the word “county,” which means a large amount of land. It’s also often used to describe an estate. As with most of the nobility, at least until recently, being a nobleman implicitly means that you own real estate. Most of today’s counts still own land, but they have little or not political power.
The British equivalent of a count is an earl. England stopped having counts after the Norman invasion of 1066.
When you speak to a count, it’s traditional to address him as “Your Excellency.” The female version of a count is a countess, of course.
How Does Being a Count Compare to Other Noble Titles?
How being a count compares to other noble titles varies from country to country. But, most of the time, being a count is somewhere in the middle of the noble classes. For comparison’s sake, I’m listing some other noble titles along with how they compare with being a count.
According to Debretts, a duke or marquess would “outrank” a count, while a count would outrank a viscount or baron.
A duke might rule over a duchy, but it’s more common that a duke is just a high ranked member of the nobility. When discussing nobility who rule lands, dukes are outranked by emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes, in that order. When discussing nobility who don’t necessarily rule over anything, dukes are outranked by princes and grand dukes. The female equivalent of a duke is a duchess.
A marquess is the next highest rank of a nobleman in most European peerages. The female designation is marchioness or marquise.
An earl is the British equivalent of a count. It’s right in the middle of the rankings of peerage. The word has no female equivalent; even in England, the female equivalent of an earl is a “countess.”
A viscount is obviously etymologically related to the word “count,” and it’s a step below a count in the traditional ranking of noblemen. The female equivalent is, of course, a viscountess.
A baron is the lowest rank of British nobility. You can also find lords and knights, but they rank below the nobility, even though they’re still considered a higher rank than commoner. One of the cool things about barons is that they often wear a small crown called a coronet. A female baron is a baroness.
Some Comments on the Concept of Nobility Itself
The concept of nobility seems odd to modern-day Americans. That’s because it’s a social class found mostly in aristocratic societies, and the United States is not an aristocratic society. The advantages of being a noble in a modern-day aristocracy vary dramatically from what they were historically. Being a nobleman is hereditary. But, in some countries and situations, becoming a noble can be at the whim of the monarch or the government. Commoners can ascend into the nobility.
These hereditary titles like “duke” or “earl” are how most people recognize that someone is of noble birth, although some nobility in some countries have no titles to speak of.
Most nobles have privileges that are separate from their social status. These privileges are granted by the monarch in power, too, and they’re granted to the specific title or estate. Many of these privileges relate mostly to wealth and land ownership. Being a noble used to be a common qualification for holding specific offices or even military ranks.
