In noble families, the title of nobility is usually passed to the first-born son, although more recently it has often passed to the eldest offspring regardless of gender, e.g., Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. Historically, other sons were considered threats to the integrity of the title and were encouraged to take clerical orders or join the army. If they did insist on having a family, they were considered a "cadet" branch of the noble family. Daughters of a noble family were obligated to politically advantageous marriages, sent to nunneries where they weren't in danger of giving birth to competing heirs to the title, or were forced into roles as household managers for the reigning family head.

An example of a well-known member of a "cadet branch" of a noble family is Sir Winston Churchill. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough. Although Randolph was given a noble title, he and his offsping could not inherit the family title as he and his offspring were "cadet" members of the Churchill noble family.