Baronets

Sir is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exists in French only as part of "" .

thumb|right|190px|Neck decoration for baronets, depicting the Red Hand of Ulster A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. Baronets rank below barons and knights of the Garter and the Thistle, but above all other knights.