An earl has the title Earl of [X] when the title originates from a placename, or Earl [X] when the title comes from a surname. In either case, he is referred to as Lord [X], and his wife as Lady [X].
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.
The word "earl" comes from the Old English word "eorl," which means "warrior" or "nobleman." Earls typically hold land known as an earldom, but they may also hold other titles, such as baron or viscount.
The meaning of EARL is a member of the British peerage ranking below a marquess and above a viscount.
Known as the peerage system, this noble hierarchy consists of five ranks today: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. The title of earl — the oldest in the peerage system — dates back to the end of the early medieval period, during the reign of King Canute (or Cnut) in the 11th century.
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.
Earl in American English (ɜːrl) noun a male given name: from the old English word meaning “ noble ”
Being an earl used to come with a great deal of power and control over a certain region, including the authority to pass judgment in courts of law. While it's still prestigious to be an earl, there's less actual power involved in the position.
This is a list of the 189 present [when?] earls in the Peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It does not include extant earldoms which have become merged (either through marriage or elevation) with marquessates or dukedoms and are today only seen as subsidiary titles.
List of earls in the peerages of Britain and Ireland - Wikipedia
The five ranks of the British nobility, in descending order, are duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.
earl (ɜrl) n. a British nobleman of a rank below that of marquis and above that of viscount: called a count for a time after the Norman Conquest. The wife of an earl is a countess.