Earl spencer children. The word "earl" comes from the Old English word "eorl," which means "warrior" or "nobleman. Britain's peerage system, which dates to Anglo-Saxon times, consists of five ranks: duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron, according to Debrett's, a leading source of information on the British peerage system. When a duke or a marquess has an earldom as his second title, this is ‘by courtesy’ given to his eldest son: thus the heir of the Duke of Northumberland is Earl Percy while that of the Marquess of Winchester is the Earl of Wiltshire. " Earls typically hold land known as an earldom, but they may also hold other titles, such as baron or viscount. Earl is the oldest title and rank of English nobles, and it was also the highest, until 1337, when Edward the Black Prince was created duke of Cornwall by Edward III. . Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. See examples of earl used in a sentence. In either case, he is referred to as Lord [X], and his wife as Lady [X]. The wife of an earl is a countess. tqvv tbffv lop gixik gvkhv ggzglw sfoyasus dnvqw gpsr onqezk