The Peerage is a system of titles of nobility in the United Kingdom, part of the British honours system. The term is used both collectively to refer to the entire body of titles, and individually to refer to a specific title.

All British honours, including peerage dignities, spring from the Sovereign, who is considered the fount of honour. The Sovereign, as "the fountain and source of all dignities cannot hold a dignity from himself" (opinion of the House of Lords in the Buckhurst Peerage Case), cannot belong to the Peerage. If an individual is neither the Sovereign nor a peer, he or she is a commoner. Members of a peer's family who are not themselves peers (including such members of the Royal Family) are also commoners; the British system thus differs fundamentally from continental European ones, where entire families, rather than individuals, were ennobled.

Divisions of the Peerage

The various parts of the Peerage, which convey slightly different benefits, are:

• the Peerage of England — all titles created by the Kings and Queens of England before the Act of Union in 1707;
• the Peerage of Scotland — all titles created by the Kings and Queens of Scotland before 1707;
• the Peerage of Ireland — titles created for the Kingdom of Ireland before the Act of Union of 1801, and some titles created later;
• the Peerage of Great Britain — titles created for the Kingdom of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801;
• the Peerage of the United Kingdom — most titles created since 1801.

Ranks

Peers are of five ranks: Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount and Baron (in descending order of hierarchy). In Scotland, the fifth rank is called a Lord of Parliament, as "Barons" are holders of feudal dignities, not peers. Baronets, while holders of hereditary titles, are not peers.

• "Duke" comes from the Latin dux, leader.
• "Marquess" comes from the French marquis, which is a derivative of marche or march. This is a reference to the English borders ("marches") with Wales and Scotland, a relationship more evident in the feminine form: Marchioness.
• "Earl" comes from the Old English or Anglo-Saxon eorl, a military leader. The meaning may have been affected by the Old Norse jarl, meaning free-born warrior or nobleman, during the Danelaw, thus giving rise to the modern sense. Since there was no feminine Old English or Old Norse equivalent for the term, "Countess" is used (an Earl is analogous to the Continental count), from the Latin comes.
• "Viscount" comes from the Latin vicecomes, vice-count.
• "Baron" comes from the Old Germanic baro, freeman.

The various titles are in the form of (Rank) (Name of Title) or (Rank) of (Name of Title). The name of the title can either be a place name or a surname. The precise usage depends on the rank of the peerage and on certain other general considerations. Dukes always use of. Marquesses and Earls whose titles are based on place names normally use of, while those whose titles are based on surnames normally do not. Viscounts, Barons and Lords of Parliament do not use of. However, there are several exceptions to the rule. For instance, Scottish vicecomital titles theoretically include of, though in practice it is usually dropped. (Thus, the "Viscount of Falkland" is commonly known as the "Viscount Falkland".) Of is normally not used when the place in question is outside British territory, as using of might imply that the nation has sovereignty over such a place. For instance, the title Marquess Douro is based on the River Douro in Portugal, over which the British monarch has neither sovereignty nor suzerainty.