#Knighthood ranks full#

A female knight in her own right is a Chevalière, The wife of a Chevalier is a Chevaleresse.

Masonic - Sir Knight + surname, 18th century to modern.

Masonic - Sir + surname, 18th century to modern.

Bachelors degree - Sir + surname, 16th to 17th centuries, at some universities.

Priests - Sir + given name, 15th to 16th centuries.

Knights - Sir + given name, late 13th century to modern.

Historically, the prefix Sir was not used just for knights:

For a lady knight’s husband: no special form.

For a woman knight not in the Garter or Thistle orders: Dame Jane Smith, D.B.E.

For a woman knight in the Garter or Thistle orders: Lady Jane Smith, K.G.

For a knight’s children: no special formĬhivalric orders are awarded only by the Sovereign.

For a knight’s wife: Mary Jones, Lady Smith.

For more information, see Wikipedia, Knight Bachelor. Thus Sir John Smith Knight Bachelor, KBE.'Ī knight who does not belong to an order of chivalry is a Knight Bachelor.

#Knighthood ranks full#

The Orders of Chivalry are either spelt in full (with or without the honorific prefix of the Order, eg Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), or by the recognised abbreviations, eg KBE. 'Legal document: Knights Bachelor are accorded 'Knight Bachelor' or 'Knight' after the name. Knights and Dames are entitled to use the courtesy title Sir / Dame in front of their names. A knight ranks above Esquire and below Baronet. A title is part of a person’s name (for genealogical purposes), which is different from the form of address, the way you would refer to the person.īritish knights and dames are not nobles, but many nobles are knights and dames. Forms of address are different than titles.Knights in countries other than Britain rarely have any kind of prefix that shows they are knights.Honorary knights do not use the titles Sir or Dame. The British knighthoods granted to citizens of other countries are honorary. Only citizens of the British Commonwealth use the courtesy titles Sir and Dame.Baronets also have the courtesy title Sir. Do not confuse British Knights with Baronets.If a person has a higher title, their knighthood is only used in the most formal circumstances, generally as part of a full list of their names and titles. Don't put more than one title in the name fields.Put the full name in the Display Name field.For most medieval English knights, put Knight in the Suffix field.

There is no such thing as a Sir Knight.For more information see Wikipedia, Chivalric order. Also, many sovereigns (and quasi-sovereigns) created their own orders. In the Middle Ages, knights often formed themselves into associations, some of which became orders. There are many exceptions and special cases. This overview simplifies a complex subject. The naming rules in each category are similar but can vary depending on the type of knighthood. hold an hereditary title of knighthood.have been granted a knighthood by a sovereign or.