Peerages by name and peerages by location

I'm wondering how the Crown (because it might not be Elizabeth herself) decides what name to give a new peerage or title. It seems they're a mix of surnames and locations, with the majority of those we've seen created based on the surname, but not all.

When Honor was created Countess Harrington, the County/Earldom Harrington was also created. That later passed on to Devon, and then she became Duchess Harrington, with the Duchy also created (we know it's on Gryphon). The other recent example we've seen was Megan Petersen, who in TEiF showed up as Baroness Petersen. I suppose that could just be a life-peerage, but given that Honor herself compared Megan's actions at Hypatia to her own at Yeltsin's Star, Elizabeth would have insisted on a hereditary title. So is there now a Barony of Petersen somewhere?

We know that Sonja Hemphill is Baroness Low Delhi (and she does not go by as "Admiral Low Delhi") and that her barony is just an arc of one of the asteroid belts. Hamish Alexander does go by as Admiral White Haven and the Earldom of White Haven exists somewhere.

It seems like the location titles are the older ones, the ones from the founding of the Kingdom. We know White Haven existed during Travis' time and that was already on the third person to hold the title. Could this be it?

How, here's the exception: William Alexander. In order to become Prime Minister, the Crown made him Baron Grantville. That's not a title that had merged with the Crown, like happens in the UK, because the heir has to marry a commoner so it's not likely (though not impossible, if the last holder of the title died without direct heirs, so it went to a cousin or something). Also, Willie was the First Baron Grantville. So why is he not Baron Alexander?

ThinksMarkedly wrote:I'm wondering how the Crown (because it might not be Elizabeth herself) decides what name to give a new peerage or title. It seems they're a mix of surnames and locations, with the majority of those we've seen created based on the surname, but not all.

When Honor was created Countess Harrington, the County/Earldom Harrington was also created. That later passed on to Devon, and then she became Duchess Harrington, with the Duchy also created (we know it's on Gryphon). The other recent example we've seen was Megan Petersen, who in TEiF showed up as Baroness Petersen. (SNIP! by RAW)

I will point out that Megan is Baroness Angrim (the name of her Roland-class destroyer at the Battle of Hypatia). BTW, I wonder where David Weber found that name (the oldest I can find is Tolkien's _The Silmarillion_).

In the UK, the Crown doesn't decide the name outright(unless it's a title given to a member of the royal family). Whenever someone's appointed to a peerage, they get to pick something "appropriate".

Most life peers take a title based on their surname, either alone (e.g. Baron Hattersley) or in combination with a placename (known as a territorial designation) to differentiate them from others of the same surname (e.g. Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws). Surnames need not be used at all if desired. Ian Paisley, for example, opted for the title Lord Bannside, and John Gummer chose the title Lord Deben. There are also occasions when someone's surname is not appropriate as a title, such as Michael Lord (now Lord Framlingham) and Michael Bishop (now Lord Glendonbrook).

However, that's the UK, where peerages are now basically the gift of the monarch upon the "advice" of the Prime Minister. In Ashes of Victory Elizabeth III tells us Manticore has checks on that process:

"Absolutely. The Crown has seen fit to urge the House of Commons, and the House of Commons has seen fit to approve, your creation as Duchess Harrington."

Either way, they generally have to consult the person being ennobled before the title is created in order for it to be... customised. Both times she got ennobled, Honor was presented with a fait accompli, for several diplomatic and political reasons.

Robert_A_Woodward wrote:I will point out that Megan is Baroness Angrim (the name of her Roland-class destroyer at the Battle of Hypatia). BTW, I wonder where David Weber found that name (the oldest I can find is Tolkien's _The Silmarillion_).

Oops, thanks for the correction! It felt weird when I wrote "Baroness Petersen" and I didn't check the book for details, nor the wiki assuming it hadn't been updated. It has been.

So my whole theory goes down the drain.

As for Arngrim, the Roland-class destroyers were named mostly after mythical figures. He and other collaborators would simply have done some research to find obscure names. I'd even guess they maintain a list of ship names per class to be used when the need arises.

And it's completely possible one of them, like you, just came across it in The Silmarillion and kept the name for use. It wouldn't even be the first Tolkien contribution... quod vide the whole Anduril-class of superdreadnoughts.