The Earl of Warwick is one of the oldest English earldoms. The medieval earldom was held to be inheritable through a female line of descent, and thus was held by members of several families. It was traditionally associated with possession of Warwick Castle, and when the 11th Earl entailed the castle to his heirs male, he probably intended to entail the earldom as well.

It was held by several Earls, until Edward Plantagenet, the eighteenth Earl, whose title was attained due to his treason. The title was next conferred upon John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland. At Dudley's death the dukedom was forfeit for his treason, but the earldom passed to his son John, and then his other son Ambrose. At Ambrose's death, the earldom became extinct.

The Earldom was for a third time created for Robert Rich, 3rd Baron Rich. However, unlike previous holders of the title, the Rich family did not control Warwick Castle, ancient seat of the Earls of Warwick. This was in the hands of the Greville family, who were at the time Barons Brooke. At the death of the eighth Rich Earl, the title became extinct, and was granted to Francis Greville, 1st Earl Brooke, thus uniting again the title and castle. The new Earl, now The Earl Brooke and of Warwick, applied for permission to use the more prestigious Warwick title alone, and although such permission was never granted ceased the use the Brooke Earldom in his style, and thus the Greville Earls have always been known (except in the House of Lords) simply as The Earl of Warwick.

Earls of Warwick, First Creation (1088)

• Henry de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Warwick (c. 1048-1119)
• Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick (c. 1102-1153)
• William de Beaumont, 3rd Earl of Warwick (d. 1184)
• Waleran de Beaumont, 4th Earl of Warwick (d. 1203?)
• Henry de Beaumont, 5th Earl of Warwick (c. 1195-1229)
• Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick (d. 1242)
• John du Plessis, 7th Earl of Warwick (d. 1263)
• William Maudit, 8th Earl of Warwick (c. 1220-1268)
• William de Beauchamp, 9th Earl of Warwick (c. 1240-1298)
• Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick (d. 1315)
• Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick (d. 1369)
• Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick (c. 1339-1401)
• Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick (1382-1439)
• Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick (1425-1445)
• Anne de Beauchamp, 15th Countess of Warwick (d. 1449)
• Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick (1428-1471)
• George, Duke of Clarence (1449-1478)
• Edward, Earl of Warwick (1475-1499) (forfeit 1499)

Earls of Warwick, Second Creation (1547)

• John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1501-1553)
• John Dudley, 2nd Earl of Warwick (d. 1554)
• Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick (c. 1529-1561)

Earls of Warwick, Third Creation (1618)

• Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick (d. 1619)
• Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587-1658)
• Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick (1611-1659)
• Charles Rich, 4th Earl of Warwick (1619-1673)
• Robert Rich, 5th Earl of Warwick (1620-1675)
• Edward Rich, 6th Earl of Warwick (1673-1701)
• Edward Henry Rich, 7th Earl of Warwick (1697-1721)
• Edward Rich, 8th Earl of Warwick (1695-1759)

Earls of Warwick, Fourth Creation (1759)

• Francis Greville, 1st Earl of Warwick (1719-1773)
• George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746-1816)
• Henry Richard Greville, 3rd Earl of Warwick (1779-1853)
• George Guy Greville, 4th Earl of Warwick (1818-1893)
• Francis Richard Charles Greville, 5th Earl of Warwick (1853-1924)
• Leopold Guy Francis Maynard Greville, 6th Earl of Warwick (1882-1928)
• Charles Guy Fulke Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick (1911-1984)
• David Robin Francis Guy Greville, 8th Earl of Warwick (1934-1996)
• Guy David Greville, 9th Earl of Warwick (b. 1957)