What Is a Lord?

What a Lord is

Lord is not a single rank but a style of address shared across much of the peerage. A baron, viscount, earl or marquess is commonly addressed as Lord, which is why it is the title most people picture when they think of the British aristocracy. It signals standing without naming an exact degree.

Where a Lord ranks

As a form of address, Lord is most closely tied to the rank of Baron, the oldest and most numerous rung of the peerage, though it reaches much higher. See the full order of precedence to see exactly where it sits.

A little history

The word comes from the Old English hlaford, meaning loaf-ward, the keeper of the bread who fed and protected his household. A lord was the man who provided, and in return commanded the loyalty of those who depended on him. From that root grew the landholding lords of the feudal age and the peers of today.

Examples:Lord Byron · Lord Nelson · Lord Sugar

How to address a Lord

A Lord is written to as Lord [Surname] and addressed in person as My Lord or Lord [Surname]. The first name is never used with the title, so it is Lord Smith, not Lord John. Our full guide covers how to address a Lord or Lady.

Lord and Lady

The female counterpart is Lady, used for peeresses and the wives of lords alike. Read what is a Lady for its own story.

How to become a Lord

A hereditary lordship passes down a family line, and a life peerage is granted by the Crown for service. Neither is for sale. What you can do is legally change your title to Lord through a title pack, which gives you a personalised Certificate of Title on parchment and a sealed Master Title Deed. See how to become a Lord for the routes, and are Lord titles real and legal? for the honest detail.