peerage, Body of peers or titled nobility in Britain. The five ranks, in descending order, are duke, marquess, earlEarl (/ɜːrl, ɜːrəl/) is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word eorl, meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead.https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Earl