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Army Ranks » Sergeant Rank • SGT Pay • SGT Rank History • Promotion Information

History of the Army Sergeant Rank

A Sergeant is a Noncommissioned Officer in the United States Army at DoD paygrade E-5.

The history of the title of sergeant as a military rank derives, as with the rank of corporal, from Latin and use in the Roman Army. The Latin phrase “serviens ad legem” means servant of the law and was applied to lawyers. Over time it, all servants of the law were identified by the noun “servientium.” The two phrases combined over time to refer to servants who were enforcers or protectors of law, these being members of the military, specifically the leaders of groups of soldiers.

With the mediaeval languages of langue d’oc and langue d’oil, used across territory that became modern day France, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, gave way to the modern day language of French, the word of sergant found widespread usage, referring to a military servant of a lord.

England adopted the meaning of the word and much of the same spelling during the time of Norman rule when the official language of England was French, using the word sarjeant to refer to men who traded military service for land ownership or the patronage of feudal lords.

With the advent of states, the rule of law, single recognized rulers, and standing militaries, England officially adopted “sarjeant” as the military rank of sergeant, a soldier in charge of squad of soldiers.

With the formation of the United States following the Revolutionary War, the United States kept the rank of Sergeant in the same capacity.

Want to learn more? Read about the Army's Sergeant rank on Military-Ranks.org.