Duke vs. Count — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 5, 2024
A duke is a higher rank in the nobility, often ruling over a duchy, while a count typically governs a smaller area known as a county.
Difference Between Duke and Count
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
In the hierarchy of European nobility, a duke holds a rank just below a monarch and is sometimes related to the royal family, overseeing a larger territorial division called a duchy. Counts, on the other hand, are ranked lower, overseeing counties, which are smaller in comparison to duchies, and they report to higher nobles such as dukes or directly to the monarch in systems without dukes.
Dukes often have greater ceremonial duties, political influence, and responsibilities within the royal court than counts. While counts manage local affairs, justice, and economic activities within their counties, ensuring loyalty to the crown and the enforcement of its laws.
The title of duke is considered more prestigious, reflecting higher social status, greater land holdings, and a closer relationship to the sovereign. Counts, while still influential, hold a status that reflects their more localized authority and responsibilities.
The historical significance of dukes varies across countries, with some nations considering them the highest rank of nobility after the royal family. In contrast, counts have been integral to the administrative and social structure of feudal Europe, with their role evolving over time.
Both dukes and counts play crucial roles in the historical governance of territories, but the power and prestige associated with these titles have changed with shifts in political structures, from feudal systems to modern state governance.
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Comparison Chart
Rank in Nobility
Higher, often just below the monarch
Lower than a duke, above barons in many systems
Governed Area
Duchy, a larger territorial division
County, a smaller territorial division
Prestige and Influence
Generally higher, with close ties to the royal family
Considerable but less than that of a duke
Responsibilities
Broader, including military, political, and economic roles
Focused on local governance, law, and order
Historical Significance
Varied by country but often very powerful
Integral to feudal Europe's administrative structure
Compare with Definitions
Duke
Noble title above count.
The Duke of Cornwall is a title traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning British monarch.
Count
Local administration.
Counts were responsible for maintaining peace and collecting taxes within their counties.
Duke
Ruler of a duchy.
Historically, dukes governed vast lands and had significant influence over regional affairs.
Count
Noble title governing a county.
The Count of Provence played a crucial role in regional governance.
Duke
High social status.
Being invited to a ball hosted by a duke was considered a high honor.
Count
Hereditary or appointed title.
In some regions, counts inherited their title, while in others, they were appointed by a higher authority.
Duke
Close to the monarchy.
Dukes often served as advisors or generals for the king or queen.
Count
Judicial authority.
Counts often had the right to judge legal matters in their jurisdiction.
Duke
Varied powers across regions.
In some countries, the duke's power rivalled that of the monarch.
Count
Part of the feudal system.
Counts were key figures in the feudal hierarchy, owing allegiance to dukes or the monarch.
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, and grand dukes.
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. The etymologically related English term "county" denoted the land owned by a count.
Duke
A nobleman with the highest hereditary rank, especially a man of the highest grade of the peerage in Great Britain.
Count
To name or list (the units of a group or collection) one by one in order to determine a total; number.
Duke
A sovereign prince who rules an independent duchy in some European countries.
Count
To recite numerals in ascending order up to and including
Count three before firing.
Duke
Used as the title for such a nobleman.
Count
To include in a reckoning; take account of
Ten dogs, counting the puppies.
Duke
Dukes(Slang) The fists
Put up your dukes!.
Count
To include by or as if by counting
Count me in.
Duke
(Botany) A type of cherry intermediate between a sweet and a sour cherry.
Count
To exclude by or as if by counting
Count me out.
Duke
To fight, especially with fists
Duking it out.
Count
To believe or consider to be; deem
Count yourself lucky.
Duke
The male ruler of a duchy (female equivalent: duchess).
Count
To recite or list numbers in order or enumerate items by units or groups
Counted by tens.
Duke
The sovereign of a small state.
Count
To have importance
You really count with me.
Duke
A high title of nobility; the male holder of a dukedom.
Count
To have a specified importance or value
Their opinions count for little. Each basket counts for two points.
Duke
A grand duke.
Count
(Music) To keep time by counting beats.
Duke
Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genera Bassarona and Dophla.
Count
The act of counting or calculating.
Duke
A fist.
Put up your dukes!
Count
A number reached by counting.
Duke
To hit or beat with the fists.
Count
The totality of specific items in a particular sample
A white blood cell count.
Duke
To give cash to; to give a tip to.
I duked him twenty dollars.
Count
(Law) Any of the separate and distinct charges or causes of action in an indictment or complaint.
Duke
A leader; a chief; a prince.
Hannibal, duke of Carthage.
All were dukes once, who were "duces" - captains or leaders of their people.
Count
(Sports) The counting from one to ten seconds, during which time a boxer who has been knocked down must rise or be declared the loser.
Duke
In some European countries, a sovereign prince, without the title of king.
Count
(Baseball) The number of balls and strikes that an umpire has called against a batter.
Duke
The fists; as, put up your dukes.
Count
A nobleman in some European countries.
Duke
To play the duke.
Lord Angelo dukes it well in his absence.
Count
Used as a title for such a nobleman.
Duke
To beat with the fists.
Count
(intransitive) To recite numbers in sequence.
Duke
A British peer of the highest rank
Count
(transitive) To determine the number of (objects in a group).
Count the number of apples in the bag and write down the number on the spreadsheet.
Duke
A nobleman (in various countries) of high rank
Count
(intransitive) To amount to, to number in total.
Count
(intransitive) To be of significance; to matter.
Your views don’t count here.
It does count if you cheat with someone when you’re drunk.
Count
(intransitive) To be an example of something: often followed by as and an indefinite noun.
Apples count as a type of fruit.
Count
(transitive) To consider something as an example of something or as having some quality; to account, to regard as.
He counts himself a hero after saving the cat from the river.
I count you as more than a friend.
Count
(transitive) To reckon in, to include in consideration.
They walked for three days, not counting the time spent resting.
Count
To take account or note (of), to care (for).
Count
To recount, to tell.
Count
To plead orally; to argue a matter in court; to recite a count.
Count
The act of counting or tallying a quantity.
Give the chairs a quick count to check if we have enough.
Count
The result of a tally that reveals the number of items in a set; a quantity counted.
Count
A countdown.
Count
(legal) A charge of misconduct brought in a legal proceeding.
Count
(baseball) The number of balls and strikes, respectively, on a batter's in-progress plate appearance.
He has a 3–2 count with the bases loaded.
Count
(obsolete) An object of interest or account; value; estimation.
Count
The male ruler of a county.
Count
A nobleman holding a rank intermediate between dukes and barons.
Count
(entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Tanaecia. Other butterflies in this genus are called earls and viscounts.
Count
Countable.
Count
To tell or name one by one, or by groups, for the purpose of ascertaining the whole number of units in a collection; to number; to enumerate; to compute; to reckon.
Who can count the dust of Jacob?
In a journey of forty miles, Avaux counted only three miserable cabins.
Count
To place to an account; to ascribe or impute; to consider or esteem as belonging.
Abracham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Count
To esteem; to account; to reckon; to think, judge, or consider.
I count myself in nothing else so happyAs in a soul remembering my good friends.
Count
To number or be counted; to possess value or carry weight; hence, to increase or add to the strength or influence of some party or interest; as, every vote counts; accidents count for nothing.
This excellent man . . . counted among the best and wisest of English statesmen.
Count
To reckon; to rely; to depend; - with on or upon.
He was brewer to the palace; and it was apprehended that the government counted on his voice.
I think it a great error to count upon the genius of a nation as a standing argument in all ages.
Count
To take account or note; - with
Count
To plead orally; to argue a matter in court; to recite a count.
Count
The act of numbering; reckoning; also, the number ascertained by counting.
Of blessed saints for to increase the count.
By this count, I shall be much in years.
Count
An object of interest or account; value; estimation.
Count
A formal statement of the plaintiff's case in court; in a more technical and correct sense, a particular allegation or charge in a declaration or indictment, separately setting forth the cause of action or prosecution.
Count
A nobleman on the continent of Europe, equal in rank to an English earl.
Count
The total number counted;
A blood count
Count
The act of counting;
The counting continued for several hours
Count
A nobleman (in various countries) having rank equal to a British earl
Count
Determine the number or amount of;
Can you count the books on your shelf?
Count your change
Count
Have weight; have import, carry weight;
It does not matter much
Count
Show consideration for; take into account;
You must consider her age
The judge considered the offender's youth and was lenient
Count
Name or recite the numbers;
The toddler could count to 100
Count
Put into a group;
The academy counts several Nobel Prize winners among its members
Count
Include as if by counting;
I can count my colleagues in the opposition
Count
Have faith or confidence in;
You can count on me to help you any time
Look to your friends for support
You can bet on that!
Depend on your family in times of crisis
Count
Take account of;
You have to reckon with our opponents
Count on the monsoon
Common Curiosities
Can a count ever become a duke?
Historically, it was possible through marriage, royal appointment, or expansion of territory and influence.
Are there still dukes and counts today?
Yes, these titles still exist, though their roles are more ceremonial and social than political.
Was there a difference in the military responsibilities of dukes and counts?
Dukes generally had greater military responsibilities, often leading armies for the king or queen, while counts managed local militias.
What are the responsibilities of a modern duke or count?
Today, their responsibilities are mainly ceremonial, including attending official events, charity work, and preserving historical estates.
What distinguishes a duke from a count?
The main distinction lies in their rank within the nobility, the size of their governed territories, and their proximity to the monarch.
What role do dukes and counts play in a monarchy?
They traditionally served as advisors, military leaders, and regional governors, reinforcing the monarchy's rule over its territories.
How did one traditionally become a duke or a count?
Titles were typically hereditary, passed down within noble families, though they could also be granted by the monarch for service or loyalty.
Can women hold the titles of duke or count?
Yes, though historically less common, there are duchesses and countesses, either in their own right or through marriage.
Do dukes and counts have any power today?
In most countries, their power is limited to ceremonial duties and social influence, with no governmental authority.
How do the titles of duke and count vary across countries?
The significance and role of these titles can vary greatly, influenced by each country's history and legal system.
Do dukes and counts still hold judicial power?
No, in most countries, judicial powers have been separated from noble titles and are part of the governmental legal system.
Are duchies and counties still important administrative divisions?
In some countries, these divisions have historical significance, but their administrative roles have largely been replaced by modern governmental structures.
How is nobility inherited in duke and count families?
Nobility titles and lands are usually passed to the eldest son, but this can vary depending on the country and specific family statutes.
What is the role of a duke or count in the military?
Historically significant, but in modern times, any military association is honorary or ceremonial rather than functional.
How does one address a duke or a count?
A duke is addressed as "Your Grace" or "Duke [Name]," while a count is addressed as "Count [Name]" or sometimes "Your Excellency."
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
