Sir is a formalhonorific address inEnglish for men, derived fromSire in theHigh Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in (English) French only as part of "Monsieur", with the equivalent "My Lord" in English.[citation needed]
Traditionally, as governed by law and custom, Sir is used for men who areknights and belong to certainorders of chivalry, as well as later applied tobaronets and other offices.
As the female equivalent for knighthood is damehood, thesuo jure female equivalent term is typicallyDame. The wife of a knight or baronet tends to be addressed asLady, although a few exceptions and interchanges of these uses exist.
Additionally, since thelate modern period, Sir has been used as a respectful way to address a man of superiorsocial status ormilitary rank. Equivalent terms of address for women areMadam (shortened to Ma'am), in addition to social honorifics such asMrs,Ms, orMiss.
Sir derives from the honorific titlesire;sire developed alongside the wordseigneur, also used to refer to a feudal lord. Both derived from theVulgar Latinsenior,sire comes from thenominative case declensionsenior andseigneur, theaccusative case declensionseniōrem.[1]
The form 'Sir' is first documented inEnglish in 1297, as the title of honour of a knight, and latterly abaronet, being a variant ofsire, which was already used in English since at leastc. 1205 (after 139 years of Norman rule) as a title placed before a name and denoting knighthood, and to address the (male) Sovereign sincec. 1225, with additional general senses of 'father, male parent' is fromc. 1250, and 'important elderly man' from 1362.
The prefix is used with the holder's given name or full name, but never with the surname alone. For example, whilst Sir Alexander and SirAlexander Fleming would be correct, Sir Fleming would not.[2]
Today, in the UK and in certainCommonwealth realms, a number of men are entitled to the prefix of 'Sir', includingknights bachelor, knights of theorders of chivalry andbaronets; although foreign nationals can be awarded honorary knighthoods. Honorary knights do not bear the prefix "Sir" nor do they receive anaccolade; instead they use the associatedpost-nominal letters.[3]
Only citizens ofCommonwealth realms may receive substantive knighthoods and have the privilege of the accompanying style. In general, only knighthoods in dynastic orders – those orders in the personal gift of the Sovereign and Head of the Commonwealth (the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle and the knighthoods in the Royal Victorian Order) – are recognised across the Commonwealth realms, along with their accompanying styles.
British knighthoods (in the Orders of the Bath, St. Michael and St. George, and in the Order of the British Empire, along with Knights Bachelor) were known asimperial honours during the existence of theBritish Empire. Those honours continued to be conferred as substantive, not honorary, awards by most Commonwealth realms into the 1990s. Since then, though former imperial honours are still awarded by certain Commonwealth realms, many of them have discontinued grants of British honours as they have developed their own honours systems, some of which include knighthoods. Today, British honours are only substantive for British nationals so recognised, including dual nationals,[4] and for nationals of those realms which have retained them as part of their honours systems.
Dual national recipients of British knighthoods who hold British citizenship, such as academic and immunologist SirJohn Bell, are entitled to the style ofSir as their knighthoods are substantive. This may not necessarily be the case for dual nationals who are not British citizens and who instead hold citizenship of another Commonwealth realm. In 1974,Lynden Pindling, thePrime Minister of the Bahamas, recommended dual Bahamian-American citizenSidney Poitier for an honorary knighthood as an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), an imperial honour, as the Bahamas did not have its own honours system at the time. Although Poitier, as a Bahamian citizen by descent, was eligible for a substantive ('ordinary') award of the KBE, the Bahamian government preferred the knighthood to be honorary as Poitier was permanently residing in the United States.[5] Knighthoods in the gift of the government of a Commonwealth realm only permit the bearer to use his style within that country or as its official representative, provided he is a national of that country; knighthoods granted by other realms may be considered foreign honours.[6] For instance,Anthony Bailey was reprimanded by Buckingham Palace and the British government in 2016 for asserting that an honorary Antiguan knighthood (which was revoked in 2017) allowed him the style of 'Sir' in the UK.[7]
The equivalent for a female who holds a knighthood or baronetcy in her own right is 'Dame', and follows the same usage customs as 'Sir'.[8] Although this form was previously also used for the wives of knights and baronets, it is now customary to refer to them as 'Lady', followed by their surname; they are never addressed using their full names. For example, while Lady Fiennes is correct, Lady Virginia and Lady Virginia Fiennes are not.[9][10] The widows of knights retain the style of wives of knights,[10] however widows of baronets are either referred to as 'dowager', or use their forename before their courtesy style. For example, the widow of SirThomas Herbert Cochrane Troubridge, 4th Baronet, would either be known asDowager Lady Troubridge orLaura, Lady Troubridge.[11]
Prior tobecoming a republic in November 2021, Barbados awarded the titleKnight or Dame of St. Andrew within theOrder of Barbados. This practice has now been discontinued, though individuals who received a knighthood or damehood when the country was still aCommonwealth realm may continue to use the titles "Sir" and "Dame" within their lifetimes.
As part of the consolidation of thecrown colony of India, theOrder of the Star of India was established in 1861 to reward prominent British and Indian civil servants, military officers and prominent Indians associated with the Indian Empire. TheOrder of the Indian Empire was established in 1878 as a junior-level order to accompany the Order of the Star of India, and to recognise long service.
From 1861 to 1866, the Order of the Star of India had a single class of Knights (KSI), who were entitled to the style of 'Sir'. In 1866, the order was reclassified into three divisions: Knights Grand Commander (GCSI), Knights Commander (KCSI) and Companions (CSI); holders of the upper two degrees could use the title 'Sir'. From its creation in 1878 until 1887, the Order of the Indian Empire had a single class, Companion (CIE), which did not entitle the recipient to a style of knighthood.
In 1887, two higher divisions, Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) and Knight Commander (KCIE) were created, which entitled holders of those ranks to the style of 'Sir'. The last creations of knights of either order were made on 15 August 1947 upon Indian independence. All British honours and their accompanying styles were officially made obsolete in India when theDominion of India became a modernrepublic in the Commonwealth of Nations in 1950, followed byIslamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956.
The Order of the Star of India became dormant in the Commonwealth realms from February 2009, and the Order of the Indian Empire after August 2010, when the last knights of the orders died.
InNigeria, holders of religioushonours like theKnighthood of St. Gregory make use of the word as a pre-nominal honorific in much the same way as it is used for secular purposes in Britain and the Philippines. Wives of such individuals also typically assume the title of Lady.
Knights and Dames ofpapal orders may elect the "Sir" or "Dame" prefix[citation needed] with post-nominal letters, subject to the laws and conventions of the country they are in. ThePope, thesovereign of theCatholic Church andVatican City, delegates the awardingorders of knighthood tobishops andGrand Masters. Their precedence is as follows:
For Example,Sir Burton P. C. Hall,KSS,KCHS would be the correct style for lay knights.
Lieutenants of theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre, are styled as "Your Excellency", such as H.E. Dame Trudy Comeau,DC*HS.
Catholic clergy who are invested as Knight Chaplains may use post-nominal letters, but must retain their clerical titles, likeRev. Robert Skeris,KCHS.
Knights and Dames ofpapal orders are not allowed to use the prefix "Sir" or "Dame" in the United Kingdom, although they may use post-nominal letters. Not allowing the prefix is because the use of foreign titles is not permitted by the British Crown without a Royal Licence, and as a matter of policy (currently based on a Royal Warrant of 27 April 1932), a Royal Licence to bear any foreign title is never granted. On the other hand, allowing the post-nominal letters would be explained by the highest and lowest dignities being universal, a king was recognized as king everywhere, and also a knight: "though a Knight receive his Dignity of a Foreign Prince, he is so to be stiled in all Legal Proceedings within England .. and Knights in all Foreign Countries have ever place and precedency according to their Seniority of being Knighted"[17]
Established in 1783 and primarily awarded to men associated with theKingdom of Ireland, Knights of theOrder of St. Patrick were entitled to the style of 'Sir'. Regular creation of new knights of the order ended in 1921 upon the formation of theIrish Free State. With the death of the last knight in 1974, the Order became dormant.
Knights of Rizal (Orden de Caballeros de Rizál) is the soleorder of knighthood of the Philippines currently constituted by legislative charter[18] and recognized by theOrders, decorations, and medals of the Philippines.[19]
Knights are entitled to prefixSir to their first names while their wives prefixLady to their first names. These apply to both spoken and written forms of address. Knights may also append the relevant post-nominal of their rank to the end of their names: Knight of Rizal (KR), Knight Officer of Rizal (KOR), Knight Commander of Rizal (KCR), Knight Grand Officer of Rizal (KGOR) and Knight Grand Cross of Rizal (KGCR). Knighthood may be conferred to both citizens and noncitizens of the Philippines. All knighthoods are substantive and the honorific may be used by all knights of the Order.
Notable members of the Order includeKing Juan Carlos I of Spain who was conferred a Knight Grand Cross of Rizal on 11 February 1998,Nobel Peace Prize winner and formerUS Secretary of State SirHenry Kissinger, formerPhilippine President SirBenigno Aquino III, and formerChief Justice of theSupreme Court of the Philippines and drafter of the1987 Philippine constitution The Honorable SirHilario Davide, Jr.
In the case of a military officer who is also a knight, the appropriate form of address puts the professional military rank first, then the correct manner of address for the individual, then his name. Examples include:
This is also the case with academic ranks and titles, such as 'Professor'. For example,Patrick Bateson was both a professor[note 2] and a knight bachelor; his correct title would be Professor Sir Patrick Bateson. However, the title of 'Doctor' (Dr.) is not used in combination with 'Sir', with the knighthood taking precedence. Knighted doctors are addressed as knights, though they may still use any post-nominal letters associated with their degrees.
Church of England clergy who receive knighthoods following their ordination do not receive an accolade and therefore do not use the title 'Sir', but instead refer to their knighthood using post-nominal letters.[2] For example, the ReverendJohn Polkinghorne,KBE would never be referred to asSir John Polkinghorne. If, however, an Anglican clergyman inherits a baronetcy or was knighted before his ordination, he will retain his style and title.[22] For instance, SirNicholas Beatson-BellKCSI,KCIE, who was a knightedIndian Civil Service officer and imperial administrator before entering the ministry, added the style ofThe Reverend to his secular honorific ofSir, thus becoming the Revd. Sir Nicholas Beatson-Bell KCSI, KCIE. Clergy of other denominations may use different conventions.[2]
Peers who have been knighted are neither styled as 'Sir' nor addressed as such in the formal sense of the style, as their titles of nobility take precedence. The same principle applies for the maleheir apparent to adukedom,marquessate orearldom, his eldest legitimate son (if he is the heir to a dukedom or marquessate with additional subsidiary peerages), and for the legitimate male issue of a duke or a marquess, who are styled 'Lord' followed by their first name. For instance, diplomat LordNicholas Gordon-Lennox, KCMG, KCVO, who was a younger son of theDuke of Richmond, continued to be styled as 'Lord Nicholas' following his knighthood in 1986, not 'Lord Sir Nicholas'. Other male heirs of an earl who lackcourtesy titles, and the male heirs of a viscount or baron, do however use the style of 'Sir' if knighted, the style following that of 'The Hon', for example The Honourable SirCharles Algernon Parsons, OM, KCB, FRS.
'Sir', along with 'Miss' for women, is commonly used in the British school system to address teachers and other members of staff. Usage of these terms is considered a mark of respect, and can be dated back to the 16th century. The practice may have been an attempt to reinforce the authority of teachers from lower social classes among classes of largely upper class students.[23] Jennifer Coates,emeritus professor of English language and linguistics atRoehampton University, has criticised the use of the title for male teachers, saying that"'Sir' is a knight. There weren't women knights, but 'Miss' is ridiculous: it doesn't match 'Sir' at all. It's just one of the names you can call an unmarried woman", and that "It's a depressing example of how women are given low status and men, no matter how young or new in the job they are, are given high status".[23] This view is not unchallenged, however. The chief executive of the Brook Learning Trust, Debbie Coslett, said "... they call me 'Miss', I'm fine with that. They're showing respect by giving me a title rather than 'hey' or 'oi, you' or whatever", and dismissed the male/female issue as "just the way the English language works".[23]
In theSouthern United States, the term 'sir' is often used to address someone in a position of authority or respect, and is commonly used in schools and universities by students to address their teachers and professors. Whereas the British and Commonwealth female equivalent isMiss, students will often refer to female teachers asMa'am.[24]
In theNortheast United States, particularlyNew England, there remains influence of both the British and French traditions as noted above; in general parlance, teachers, authority-figures, and so forth, are referred to by a title of respect such as 'Sir' for males and 'Miss', 'Ms', or 'Mrs' for females: 'Miss' for unmarried, younger females; 'Ms' for senior, elder, or ranking females that may or may not be married; and 'Mrs' for married or widowed females.
If not specifically using their rank or title, 'sir' is used in theUnited States Armed Forces to address a male commissioned officer. Lower-ranking andnon-commissioned officers, such as corporals or sergeants, are addressed using their ranks,[25] though in some of the branches (to be precise, in the Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) "sir" can also be used to address a drill instructor although he is an NCO.
In theBritish Armed Forces, male commissioned officers andwarrant officers are addressed as 'sir' by all ranks junior to them, male warrant officers are addressed asMr by commissioned officers.[26]
In theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), onlycommissioned officers are addressed as 'sir'; NCOs andconstables are addressed by their rank. MaleBritish police officers of the rank ofInspector or above are addressed as 'Sir' (women of inspecting rank are called Ma'am).[citation needed]
In theHong Kong Police Force, male superiors are respectfully known by their surname followed by 'sir'. For example, Inspector Wong would be addressed or referred to as 'Wong-sir'. Male police officers are sometimes known colloquially as "Ah-sir" (阿Sir) to the wider public.[27]
The term 'Sir' is also used frequently in the customer service industry, by employees to refer to customers, and sometimes vice versa. In the United States, it is much more common in certain areas (even when addressing male peers or men considerably younger). For example, a 1980 study showed that 80% of service interactions in the South were accompanied by 'Sir' orMa'am, in comparison to the Northern United States, where 'Sir' was only used 25% of the time.[24]
'Sir', in conjunction with 'Ma'am' or 'Madam', is also commonly used in thePhilippines andSouth Asia, not only to address customers and vice versa, but also to address people of a higher social rank or age.[28][29][30][31]
 | This section may contain informationnotimportant or relevant to the article's subject. Please helpimprove this section.(July 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
In the seriesStar Trek andThe Orville, characters use 'Sir' as a gender-neutral term to address superior ranking officers.[32]
