▁femin ine ▁form ▁is ▁Duch ess . ▁ ▁Mar qu ess ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁French ▁mar quis , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁derivative ▁of ▁mar che ▁or ▁march . ▁This ▁is ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁borders ▁(' m arch es ') ▁between ▁England , ▁Scotland , ▁and ▁Wales , ▁a ▁relationship ▁more ▁evident ▁in ▁the ▁femin ine ▁form , ▁March ion ess . ▁The ▁first ▁marqu ess ▁in ▁a ▁peer age ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Is les ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 3 8 5 . ▁ ▁Earl ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁English ▁or ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁e or l , ▁meaning ▁a ▁military ▁leader . ▁The ▁meaning ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁Old ▁Nor se ▁jar l , ▁meaning ▁a ▁free - born ▁war rior ▁or ▁no blem an , ▁during ▁the ▁D anel aw , ▁thus ▁giving ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁modern ▁sense . ▁Since ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁femin ine ▁Old ▁English ▁or ▁Old ▁Nor se ▁equivalent ▁for ▁the ▁term , ▁' Count ess ' ▁is ▁used ▁( an ▁Earl ▁is ▁analog ous ▁to ▁the ▁Cont inental ▁' count '), ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁comes . ▁The ▁rank ▁was ▁created ▁circa ▁ 8 0 0 – 1 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Vis count ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁vice comes , ▁meaning ▁' vice - count '. ▁The ▁rank ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 4 4 0 . ▁The ▁femin ine ▁form ▁is ▁Vis count ess . ▁ ▁Baron ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁German ic ▁bar o , ▁meaning ▁' fre