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The nobility represents, or has represented, the higher stratum of a society in which social classes can be distinguished. Typically, nobility descends from chivalry (or warrior class) in the feudal stage of the development of a society. Originally, knights
or nobles were mounted warriors who swore allegiance to their sovereign and promised to fight for him in exchange for allocation
of land (usually together with serfs living there).
The nobility of a person might be either inherited or earned. Nobility in its most general and strict sense is an acknowledged
preeminence that is hereditary, i.e., legitimate descendants (or all male descendants, in some societies) of nobles are
nobles, unless explicitly stripped of the privilege. In this respect, nobility is distinguished from British peerage: the latter can be passed to only a single member of the family. Another confusion of
the term nobility is with aristocracy. The latter term is often used
(abused) in an informal way, but in the strict sense it is a political term related to a form of government.
Nobles typically commanded resources, such as food, money, or labor, from common
members or nobles of lower rank of their societies, and could exercise religious or political power over them. Also, nobles
typically, but not necessarily were entitled to land property, which was reflected in the title. For example, the title Earl of Chesterfield tells about property, while the title Earl Cairns was created for a surname. However all the above is not obligatory; quite
often nobility was associated only with social respect and certain social privileges. A typical example of the latter would be
Polish szlachta.
A list of noble titles for different European countries can be found at Royal and noble ranks. To learn how to properly address holders of these titles, see Royal and noble styles.
Some con artists also sell fake titles of nobility, often with impressive-looking documents to back them up. These may be
illegal, depending on local law.
Nobility by nation
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