Comes (/ˈkoʊmiːz/ KOH-meez, pl.: comites, /ˈkɒmɪtiːz/ KOM-i-teez), often translated as count, was a Roman title or office.
The later medieval title of count evolved from the Roman one. Before becoming a word for various types of title or office, the word originally meant "companion", either individually or as a member of a collective denominated a "comitatus", especially the suite of a magnate, being in some instances sufficiently large and/or formal to justify specific denomination, e.g. a "cohors amicorum". "Comes" derives from "com-" ("with") and "ire" ("go").