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Caballero or Dama (Knight - Lady)

Hidalgo or Fijodalgo (Nobleman)

Escudero (Esquire)

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Prince: This title is not provided by the Spanish kings but reserved for their children, also known as Infantes and Infantas. The heir to the throne is named Prince of Asturias since the reign of Don Juan I (John I of Spain) and the first one to have such a priviledge was that who would later be Enrique III (Richard III of Spain) (1390-1406) who married Catherine of Lancaster, John of Gaunt's daughter.

In spite of this, the honourific title was given twice to non-members of the royalty and many times used in ancient times among the nobility. The most ancient titles were used by Greatnesses of Spain, as mirrors of titles obtained in Flanders, Sicily and Naples, a few of which are sill in use (ex. Bartolomé Corsini, 'Príncipe de Corsini' or the title 'Príncipe de Resutano').

The Principado de la Paz (Princedom of the Peace) was created by Carlos IV in 1795, being later changed to "Capitán General del Ejército" (Captain General of the Army), it disappeared.

The second title of Prince was given in 1872 by Amadeo I of Saboya to Baldomero Espartero, previous regent of Isabel II (Elizabeth II of Spain), also Duke of Victoria.

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Duke: The first hereditary dukedoms were created in the reign of Enrique II de las mercedes (Richard II of the charites). Before him, during the Visigothic domination, the dukedoms of Cantabria, Lusitania, Cartagena and Mérida had been quite famous, but they were not proper dukedoms in the honourific hereditary way we know them today.
Henry II created the Dukedom of Soria and Molina in 1370 and that of Benavente to his natural son don Fadrique of Castile (the title was considered as important as to be left for princes and saviours of the kingdom only). Both Dukedoms seased to be: one in exchange of a high sum of money, the second one when don Fadrique died in prison.
The king John I of Castile only created two Dukedoms: the one of 'Valencia de Campos' for the infant John of Portugal, his brother in law and the 'Ducado of Peñafiel' to his own son Ferdinand, Count of Mayorga and later king of Aragon.
King John II created 6 Dukedoms in all his reign and, king Henry IV, only 4 among which he offered the Dukedom of Alba de Tormes. The Catholic Kings- Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile 8- the Dukedom of the Infantado among them. Different noblemen continued being honoured in such a progression than by the times of Philip II- Charles V's son- 20 Greatnesses of Spain already had a Dukedom. In our days, more than 150 greatnesses of Spain are Dukes.

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Marquess: Depending on where the feud was situated, it was called Marquisate or County. The Marquisate was, mainly, those lands that were in the limits of a reign, and the Marquess was their master. In Cataluña and Barcelona, the title was only used for those lords of the Hispanic Mark (the Northern limits of Spain with France) while in Castilla the Marquisates could be situated in any part of Spain.
Such a title was not conceded frequently to the nobility. The first Marquisate and the most olden was that of 'Villena' (Marquesado de Villena) in the year 1336, given by don Henry II to don Alonso de Aragon, the king don Pedro the Aragon's uncle. With John II we witness the creation of a new Marquisate: the Marquesado of Santillana, given to don Iñigo López de Mendoza.
In the times of Henry IV, the monarch created the Marquisates of Cádiz, Astorga, Villena y Coria. The Catholic Kings gave the title more than nine times, Charles I, twelve times, don Phillip II- the bureaucrat king- twenty-five, don Philip the III, thirty-one and don Philip IV, more that sixty. After them, many marquesses were created and the use of some foreign titles created by the Pope (as the Marquisate of or other States, accepted in the Peninsula.

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Count: It's the most ancient of all the Spanish titles and it was, originally, in the same hierarchy than the governors of the Spanish provinces. Created during the 'Re-conquest' of the peninsula from Spanish hands, the first and most important counts were those of- for the will of don Alfonso X el Sabio (Alphonse X the Wise)- Belmonte (Condes de Belmonte), of sir Louis (don Luis) and sir John (don Juan), cousins of his majesty, and of Trastamara, Lemos y Sarria, by which his friend don Alvar Núñez Osorio was honoured. In those times, the Señorío of Santa Eufemia also received the category of County.
As time went by, the counties were more and more frequent, always highlighted as the highest stage of the Iberian peerage until the XVIII century, when the title of Marquess was accepted as having a higher importance. Counts were specially mentioned in Aragon as the 'first nobility' together with the 'noblemen, rich men, barons and counts', equals to the king and descendants of the highest generals of the 'Re-conquest'.
In their shields, the counts were to use- if a helm was wanted- a silver helmet, studded or, covered in gules, tierced dexter and with seven nets in the front. As examples we may quote that of the Conde de Cabra, Conde de Lemos, Conde de Ureña, Conde de Miranda, four of the first 'Greatesses of Spain'.

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Viscount:

Baron:

Greatness of Spain:

Lord:

Foreign Titles:

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