Esquire

This article is about the modern informal, non-royally awarded title. For other uses, see Esquire (disambiguation). For the feudal title, see Squire.

Part of a series on
Imperial, royal, noble,
gentry and chivalric ranks in Europe
Feudal titles and status
Lord paramount / Territorial lord
Tenant-in-chief
Mesne lord
Lord of the manor / Overlord / Vogt / Liege lord
Esquire / Gentleman / Landed gentry
Franklin / Yeoman / Retinue
Husbandman
Free tenant
Domestic servant
Vagabond
Serf / Villein / Bordar / Cottar
Slave

Esquire (/ɪˈskwaɪər/,[1] US also /ˈɛskwaɪər/;[2] abbreviated Esq.)[3] is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, esquire historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman and below the rank of knight. Some sources cite that the title was bestowed on "candidates for knighthood in England", and even used with respect to other dignitaries, such as justices of the peace, sheriffs, and sergeants.[4]

The 1826 edition of William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England reiterated that "the title should be limited to those only who bear an office of trust under the Crown and who are styled esquires by the king in their commissions and appointments; and all, I conceive, who are once honoured by the king with the title of esquire have a right to that distinction for life."[5][6] By the early 20th century, however, esquire was being used as a general courtesy title for any man in a formal setting, with no precise significance, usually as a suffix to his name, and commonly with initials only. In the United Kingdom today, esquire is still occasionally used as a written style of address in formal or professional correspondence.[7][8] In certain formal contexts, it remains an indication of a social status that is recognised in the order of precedence.[9] In the legal profession, the title is available for barristers who have achieved the rank of King's Counsel because they are designated as esquire on their letters patent.

In the United States, the term esquire (abbreviated Esq.) is generally used by lawyers,[10] as a suffix, preceded by a comma, after the lawyer's full name.[11] According to research by a New York City Bar Association committee, in the United States, esquire over time came to refer "commonly and exclusively" to lawyers, but how that happened is unclear. The only certainty, the committee stated, is that "based on common usage it is fair to state that if the title appears after a person's name, that person may be presumed to be a lawyer".

  1. ^ "British English: Esquire". Collins Dictionary. n.d. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  2. ^ "American English: Esquire". Collins Dictionary. n.d. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  3. ^ "esquire, n.1 1.3.a.". Oxford English Dictionary. March 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  4. ^ Thompson, Katheryn (8 January 2006). "Tussle Over Titles". ABA Journal. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023.
  5. ^ Blackstone, William; Chitty, Joseph (1826). "Chapter XII – Of The Civil State". Commentaries on the Laws of England, Volume 1. William Blackstone. pp. 405–406.
  6. ^ The Popular Encyclopedia: Being a General Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature, Biography, History, and Political Economy, Volume 1. Blackie & Son. 1841. p. 698.
  7. ^ "esquire". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House. 3 May 2010. Archived from the original on 12 March 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  8. ^ Oxford English Dictionary (second ed.). 1991.
  9. ^ "Precedence Amongst Gentlemen in England and Wales". Debrett's. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  10. ^ Hilsher, Matt. "What Does 'Esquire' Mean in Law?". Esquire Law. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  11. ^ Thompson, Katheryn A. (8 January 2006). "Tussle Over Titles". ABA Journal. American Bar Association. Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2020.