The French and English systems of nobility both descend from a common medieval ancestor, the system in place in northern France in the eleventh century. However, by the early modern era, a number of important differences had developed.

There were, in both absolute and relative terms, far more French nobles than English nobles. This was a function of the English rule of primogeniture, which limited the inheritance of a title to the eldest surviving son of the previous holder, and the French custom of passing the father's title to all legitimate sons. It was also a function of definitions. For example, a French knight ("le chevalier de ...") was considered a nobleman. An English knight was not.

Every English nobleman was a member of the House of Lords. A French nobleman, however, was not necessarily a member of the Second Estate of the Estates General. Nearly English nobleman possessed considerable land. Many French noblemen, however, were landless and some even lived in "gentile poverty.)

Most English estates were owned by members of the gentry, each of whom held the non-noble rank of "knight" or "squire." The few owners of French estates who were not noble. These non-noble landowners also took pains to acquire titles, thereby diminishing the number of members of their class.