Peerage of England
The ranks of the English peerage are, in descending order, Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. While most newer English peerages descend only in the male line, many of the older ones (particularly older baronies) can descend through females. Under English inheritance law all daughters are co-heirs, so many older English peerage titles have fallen into abeyance between various female co-heirs.
List of viscounts in the peerages of Britain and Ireland
This is a list of the 112 present and extant Viscounts in the Peerages of England, Scotland, Great Britain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Note that it does not include extant viscountcies which have become merged (either through marriage or elevation) with higher peerages and are today in use only as subsidiary titles. For a more complete list, which adds these "hidden" viscounties as well as extinct, dormant, abeyant, and forfeit ones, see List of Viscountcies.