Ranks
The ordinary Spanish nobility is divided into six ranks. From highest to lowest, these are: Duque (Duke), Marqués (Marquess), Conde (Count), Vizconde (Viscount), Barón (Baron), and Señor (Lord) (as well as the feminine forms of these titles).
Nobility descends from the original male who was raised to the nobility or recognized as belonging to the hereditary nobility to all legitimate descendants, male and female, in the male line. Thus, most persons who are legally noble, hold no noble title.
A grandeeship ennobles its recipient and, although usually conferred with a title, need not be.
Read more about this topic: Spanish Nobility
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