What is the women equivalent to Esq following a name?

Question

For example William Smith Esq. You would write this if you did not know what to call this man, such as Mr, or Master. But what if that were the case for a woman?

Answer 1

"MAM" but the MAM comes before the name.
" It looks as though i was wrong ! so just put Dear whats your name" ????

Answer 2

In the UK Esquire came from the feudal rank of Squire, and as time progressed and Fuedalism fell by the wayside, the squires were then the lower landed gentry, just above gentlemen farmers and others without titles, manoral rights etc. but is applied as a post nominal, so John Robinson Esq. Obviously females were regarded as Ladies at that station, but even as head of the household I have found no such record of any title. Incorrectly above, someone says Dame is the equivalent, but that is wrong, that is the wife or holder of a knighthood. As for the gent who mentions the police calling him 'squire' that was just the old respect that the police were trained to give out as a 'citizen locally appointed' as a constable.

Answer 3

mcfifi and leedsmike have it.

esquire comes from squire - the landed gentry. originally from the 14th century England, when the title Esquire (Esq.) was first
recorded, it referred to a county gentleman aspiring to knighthood.

There is no female equivalent.

Most of the other answers here refer to the american corruption of the word about 100 years ago.

you'd be seen as a right dilbert if you wrote esq thesedays.

It look like you posted this in "All English" sections of YA. This wil get you a variety of answers, as you can see, so its impossible for you to know which answer is right because we are guessing at your context.

If you call an English female solicitor esq she would think you've lost your marbles.

Answer 4

Esquire is considered a rank in England slightly above that of a Gentleman in social standings. There are not such titles in the United States. Many attorneys use or are referred to as Esquire, but it is not an official or legal title. The equivalent in England would be that of Dame. So, a man would be John Smith, Esquire and a woman would be Dame Mary Smith.

Answer 5

There's no equivalent. Esq is short for Esquire, which just means gentleman.

You use Esq instead of using Mr or Master before the man's name.

There's no similar abbreviation you can put after a woman's name.

Answer 6

You can't. It originates from the good old days when women didn't work. So there is no equivalent. I suppose that dreadful Ms is about the closest modern version! Not Miss, Not Mrs, but Ms! (Not Mr, Not Master, esq).

Answer 7

I think the others are correct i.e. about it being a male rank (not a rank male) but I would like to know why the police back in the day (about 15-20 years ago) used to always address me as Squire when they stopped me in the street, I'm sure it was not to do with my rank

Answer 8

I don't think there's a equivalent. In the case of a woman, where you don't know her status, the usual title is Ms, which covers both Mrs and Miss.

Answer 9

It is still ESQ for a woman. ESQ just means a lawyer. Used the same as MD for a doctor whether male or female.

Answer 10

In UK Esquire was the rank below Knight so there was no female equivalent.

Answer 11

Esquire [Esq] refers only to men.