Noble Titles ranked in importance from highest to lowest

As explained above, most Danish lensgreve titles were historically linked to a specific Grevskab, meaning that the dignity of lensgreve and the possession of the associated fief were inseparable. However, a rare exeption also existed: the perpetual lensgreve title, granted via independant royal patent rather than depending on a particular fief. 

This distinction becomes especially important after the lensafløsning of 1919, which abolished the old Danish fiefs.For fief-tied lensgrever, the title survived only as a temporary transitional style for the then-living title holders and two following successor generations. For that reason, most traditional lensgreve titles have already lapsed, and the title is considered to by dying out.

 Perpetual lensgrever are Danish counts whose lensgreve dignity was granted by independent royal patent to a family line. Unlike fief-tied lensgrever, their title is not merely a temporary survival of an abolished grevskab. It continues passing to the senior male-line successor until the relevant line dies out entirely, independent of the abolished Danish fiefs. These families carry the title until the family stops producing an heir.

Only 7 people carry this title, making it incredibly rare. 

Fief-tied lensgrever are Danish counts whose title was originally attached to a grevskab — an entailed noble fief created under the absolutist monarchy. When the Danish fiefs were abolished by the  lensafløsning of 1919, the legal basis for these titles disappeared. The title was preserved only as a temporary transitional style for the then-existing lensgrever and 2 following generations, after which subsequent family heads will be demoted to grever. 95% of families held this title.

 A lensbaron was a Danish fief-baron: the holder of a baroni, a noble estate or fief created by royal authority. The word combines len, meaning fief, with baron. A lensbaron was therefore not simply an ordinary baron, but the baronial equivalent of a lensgreve: a titled noble whose dignity was tied to possession of a Crown-recognised entailed estate. 

The comital title applies broadly to the legitimate noble line according to the patent. These families can have many male members styled greve, with female members either styled komtesse (daughter of a count) or grevinde (wife of a count).

The title or senior dignity is reserved for the head of the senior line, while younger descendants may have a different title or lower rank. 

This was common in Danish noble patents, especially where the Crown wanted to preserve a single senior family representation. 

In many lensgreve houses, the head is lensgreve, while sons and other male-line members are grever. This is why a family may contain both a lensgreve and several grever at the same time. 

This case is especially common for the powerful and wealthy families.

 Some titles or names were restricted by the terms of a patent, estate, fideicommis, or majorat arrangement.  These must be checked family by family; they are not the same as the general lensgreve (current +2 generation) lapse rule. In some cases families would only hold a noble title for 1 generation, with all subsequent members having lower titles / joining the untitled nobility.

The baronial rank applies broadly to all  legitimate descendants covered by the patent, not only the eldest heir to the position of family head.

 The senior title or dignity belongs only to the head of the senior line, while younger descendants may have another title or rank. 

Some countly patents made the head a count, while younger descendants were barons/friherrer. 

 Modern untitled nobles are members of noble families who do not bear a countly or baronial title. Their noble status may come from ancient noble origin, royal ennoblement, naturalisation, or recognition by patent.

 A ridder was a knighted nobleman. In medieval Denmark, the term originally referred to a mounted warrior, but later came to mean a nobleman who had received the formal knightly accolade. Riddere stood above ordinary væbnere in social prestige, but the dignity was personal rather than hereditary: noble birth could make a man eligible for knighthood, but it did not automatically make him a ridder. 

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 A væbner was a lower-ranking noble man-at-arms: a member of the medieval noble estate who served militarily but had not been knighted. Væbnere were noble, but they ranked below riddere in personal prestige. The term later became a broader designation for the lower untitled nobility. 

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