Lieutenant means holding another person's place, while midshipman comes from the part of a sailing ship where junior officers lived and worked. Admiral derives from an Arabic title for a commander of the sea, while vice admiral grew from the admiral's deputy. William de Leybourne, the first Admiral of England, was the earliest English officeholder to use Admiral with that spelling. Commodore and commander emphasize entrusted authority, and captain retains the older sense of chief or leader.
Chapter · 5:42-12:15
What Royal Navy officer titles originally meant
The origins of lieutenant, midshipman, admiral, commodore, commander, and captain reveal the jobs these titles first described.