fyrst

Fyrst is a term most often encountered as a variant spelling of the German noble title Fürst, meaning a sovereign prince or ruler. The word originates from Old High German furst, and has historically designated high-ranking rulers within the Holy Roman Empire and other German-speaking territories. In scholarly and archival contexts, "Fyrst" appears as an alternative transliteration when umlauts were not used in printing or manuscript transcription; it is now largely obsolete in standard German, where Fürst is the conventional spelling.

Historically, a Fürst was the ruler of a principality (Fürstentum) and ranked among the higher nobility, with status and authority that varied by region and period. The title could denote sovereign princes as well as princes of noble houses; the exact prerogatives and significance depended on local law and succession practices. In modern contexts, the best-known contemporary use of the title is in Liechtenstein, where the reigning prince is styled Fürst.

In contemporary English-language writing, "Fyrst" is rarely used outside historical or genealogical texts, with Fürst or Prince serving as the standard renderings. As a surname, Fyrst appears in some Germanic-speaking populations, though it remains comparatively uncommon relative to other variants such as Furst or Furst.

See also: Fürst, Fürsten, Prince, Liechtenstein.