Early Bulgar leaders bore the title of baltavar (balt-avar), which literally means "ruler of Avars". Later they acquired the title Khan and Khagan, still later the title tsar.

List of Bulgarian rulers

Legendary rulers

• Avitokhol (Atila)
• Irnik

Historical persons

• Gostun
• Organa , regent (? - 619)

the Dulo clan (? - 740, before 808 - 976)

At times, the reign in the Bulgar lands was split.

• Kubrat (late 6th century or early 7th century-mid 7th century)
• Batbayan
• Shambat
• Asparukh (680-700 or 701)
• Tervel (701-721)
• Kormesiy (721-738)
• Sevar (738-753)

the Ukil clan (739-761, 764-766)

• Kormisosh (753-756)
• Vinekh (756-762)
• Telets (762-765)
• Sabin (765-766)

the Ugain clan (761-764)

• Umor (766)
• Toktu (766-767)
• Pagan (767-768)
• Telerig (768-777)
• Kardam (777-802)

• Krum (802-814)
• joint rule of Omurtag (815-831), Dukum (814-815) and Dizewg (815)
• joint rule of Malamir (831-852), Presian (836-852)
• Boris I Michael (852-889)
• Vladimir of Bulgaria (889-893)
• Simeon I of Bulgaria (Simeon the Great) (893-May 27 927)
• Peter I of Bulgaria (927-969)
• Boris II of Bulgaria (969-972)
• Roman I of Bulgaria (972-997) (joint rule with Samuil 976-997)

House of Comitopuli (976-1018)

• Samuil (997-1014) (joint rule with Roman 976-997)
• Gavril Radomir of Bulgaria (October 1014 - August 1015)
• Ivan Vladislav of Bulgaria (1015-1018)

Byzantine rule (1018 - 1185)

House of Asen (the Asenites) (1186-1277, 1279-1280)

• joint reign of Teodor (I) Peter (II) (1186-1197) and Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria (1186-1196)
• Kaloyan (1197-1207)
• Boril of Bulgaria (1207-1218)
• Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria (1218-1241)
• Kaliman I of Bulgaria (1241-1246)
• Michael II Asen of Bulgaria (1246-1256/1257)
• Kaliman II of Bulgaria (1256/1257)
• Mico (1256/1257)
• Constantine Tikh of Bulgaria (1257-1277)
• Ivan Asen III of Bulgaria (1279-1280)
• Ivailo the Swineherd (1277-1279)

House of Terter (1280-1292, 1300-1323)

• George I of Bulgaria (1280-1292)
• Teodor II Svetoslav (1300-1322)
• George II of Bulgaria (1322-1323)

• Smilets of Bulgaria (1292-1298)

Mongolian monarch in Bulgaria 1298-1300

• Chaka (1298-1300)

House of Shishman (1323-1396)

• Michael III Shishman (1323-1330)
• Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria (1330-1331)
• Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria (1331-1371)
• Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria (1371-1393)
• Ivan Stratsimir of Bulgaria (1393-1396)

Ottoman rule (1396 - 1878)

House of Battenberg (1879-1886)

• Alexander I Joseph (April 4 1879 - September 7 1886)

House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1887-1946)

• Ferdinand of Bulgaria (1887-1918)
• Boris III (1918-1943)
• Simeon II (1943-1946)

Monarchy abolished in 1946

See also

• History of Bulgaria
• Asen dynasty
• List of Prime Ministers of Bulgaria
• List of Presidents of Bulgaria