In the 16th century, the term "esquire" took on a more specific meaning in England. It became a title that was used to refer to gentlemen who were not nobles but were entitled to bear arms. This meant that they had the right to display a coat of arms and were considered to be of higher social status than commoners.

In the 20th century, people who were not noble were also called "Esquire". The title gave them a noble aura. Was that a form of imposture? Not necessarily. Many of those affected were titled "Esquire" in letters, although they never asked for it or gave the title anywhere.

Wikipedia explains:

"By the early 20th century, however, esquire was being used as a general courtesy title for any man in a formal setting, with no precise significance, usually as a suffix to his name, and commonly with initials only. It was never used in a salutation. For example, a letter from a bank or firm of solicitors would be addressed to "T. J. Smith, Esq.", but the salutation would be "Dear Mr. Smith". The use of esquire began to die out in the 1970s because the automatic generation of correspondence using names and addresses stored in computer databases encouraged the use of names in a standard format with prefixed titles only."

Today, the title "esquire" is still used in the UK, but its meaning has evolved over time. It is now commonly used as a courtesy title for lawyers, and it is also sometimes used in formal correspondence to indicate a person’s social status or professional standing. However, it is worth noting that the use of the title "esquire" is not regulated in the UK, and there are no strict rules governing who can use it or how it should be used. As such, its use can vary depending on context and individual preference.

Google is now introducing the Esq-Domains. How could you use an Esq-Domain?

You publish a website about a nobleman, who was an Esquire. You could publish this website at e.g. francesbaconfield.esq.

The domain is reflecting the name with titel and has a great memorability.

You produce noble products like e.g. elegant leather suitcases.

You could publish a website at e.g. baileysleather.esq or baileys.esq.

You could try to improve your image and publish a website like e.g. griffith.esq.

You are a lawyer, and you want to have a website which has an outstanding address.

You could publish a website like e.g. thurgood.esq

Hans-Peter Oswald

https://www.domainregistry.de/… (English)
https://www.domainregistry.de/… (deutsch)