Sir (Title)

By Crusader1307

Today a simple form of conveyed respect – meant to identify a Male, in The Middle Ages, the title of “Sir” was reserved for both a Baronet or Knight. The title always precedes the full proper name of the person addressed (or being addressed). Said to have originated in the 9th Century from the term “Shire”, a “Sir” was also used to identify Ordinary Priests (in the 15th to 17th Centuries). From the 18th to 19th Centuries, the title was used to convey that a Male was a graduate of a University or College.