Esquire (abbreviated Esq.) is a term of British origin (ultimately from Latin scutarius in the sense of shield bearer via Old French “esquier”). Depending on the country, the term has different meanings. In the UK, it is a title of respect previously accorded to gentlemen of higher social rank but which has since come to be used, with no precise significance, as a general courtesy title for any man in a formal context.[1][2] Esquire is cognate with the word squire, which originally meant an apprentice or assistant to a knight. Relics of this origin can still be found today associated with the word esquire. For example in the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, “Esquire” is today the most junior grade of membership.