The title of Marquess of Northampton was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1812 for the Earl of Northampton. An earlier Marquess of Northampton was William Parr , brother of Queen Catherine Parr, who was created Marquess by Edward VI in the Peerage of England, lost the title under Mary, and was granted a new creation of the title by Elizabeth, again in the Peerage of England.

The present (Compton) Marquess holds the subsidiary titles of Earl of Northampton (1618), Earl Compton (1812), and Baron Wilmington (1812), the first in the Peerage of England, the latter two in the Peerage of the UK.

The family are major land owners and have two major estates:

• Castle Ashby
• Compton Wynyates

Earls of Northampton, First Creation (1072)

• Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northampton (d. 1075)

Earls of Northampton, Second Creation (1080)

• Simon Saint-Lis, 1st Earl of Northampton (d. 1109)
• Simon Saint-Lis, 2nd Earl of Northampton (d. 1153)
• Simon Saint-Lis, 3rd Earl of Northampton (1138-1184)

Earls of Northampton, Third Creation (1337)

• William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton (c. 1310-1360)
• Humphrey de Bohun, 2nd Earl of Northampton (1341-1373) with death 1373 earldom abeyant
• Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Northampton (1367 - 1413) earldom restored 1384, he became king in 1399
• Anne Plantagenet, 4th Countess of Northampton (1383 - 1438) gained earldom 1399

Marquesses of Northampton, First Creation(1547)

• William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton (1513-1571) (forfeit 1553; restored 1559)

Earls of Northampton, Fourth Creation (1604)

• Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton (1540-1614)

Earls of Northampton, Fifth Creation (1618)

• William Compton, 1st Earl of Northampton (d. 1630)
• Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton (1601-1643)
• James Compton, 3rd Earl of Northampton (1622-1681)
• George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton (1664-1727)
• James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton (1687-1754)
• George Compton, 6th Earl of Northampton (1692-1758)
• Charles Compton, 7th Earl of Northampton (1737-1763)
• Spencer Compton, 8th Earl of Northampton (1738-1796)
• Charles Compton, 9th Earl of Northampton (1760-1828) (became Marquess of Northampton in 1812)

Marquesses of Northampton, Second Creation (1812)

• Charles Compton, 1st Marquess of Northampton (1760-1828)
• Spencer Joshua Alwyne Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton (1790-1851)
• Charles Douglas Compton, 3rd Marquess of Northampton (1816-1877)
• William Compton, 4th Marquess of Northampton (1818-1897)
• William George Spencer Scott Compton, 5th Marquess of Northampton (1851-1913)
• William Bingham Compton, 6th Marquess of Northampton (1885-1978)
• Spencer Douglas David Compton, 7th Marquess of Northampton (b. 1946)

His son and heir, Daniel Bingham Compton, Earl Compton (b. January 16 1973)