esquire

Japanese: esquire

…A family coat of arms is a shield-shaped frame containing a particular design, symbolizing the family's membership of the class that was once permitted to bear arms. The gentry is further divided into knights, esquires, and simple gentlemen. In modern England, apart from the holders of the baronetcy created in the 17th century, there were only a few hundred nobles, who served as members of the House of Lords, but were too small to function as an independent social class. …

From [Squire]

…Etymologically, it is the same as the medieval concept of status, esquire. It is below the nobility, and together with the nobility, it is the core of the gentry, which became the ruling class in early modern England.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "esquire" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…家紋は盾の形をした枠組みのなかに特定の図案が収められているもので，その家門がかつて武器をもつことを許された階層に属していたことを象徴する。ジェントリーはさらにナイトknight，エスクワイアesquireと単なるジェントルマンとに区分される。近代のイギリスでは，17世紀に創出された準男爵位の保有者を別にすると，貴族は数百人しかおらず，彼らはそのまま貴族院議員となっていたが，独立の社会層として機能するには小規模にすぎた。…