USA knighthood analogue

With a POD after the revolution, and while preserving republicanism in general, create a situation where illustrious citizens are given a special status and onomastic prefix, akin to the British Sir/Dame.
 
Didn't one of the founding fathers want to restrict franchise to only Revolutionary War veterans (exclusively Patriot ones anyways) and their descendants?
 
Kentucky has Colonels. That’s right, the fried chicken guy’s title.

Later on there were imitators. Indiana has Sagamore of the Wabash. Rhode Island has Commodores, and Nebraska has Admirals, apparently as a joke.
 
Congressional Gold Medal or Medal of Freedom are the closest thing we have.
If the Congressional Gold Medal were expanded to non-military recipients decades before 1858 it would probably be numerous enough to be a de facto knighthood. An earlier Presidential Medal of Freedom, because it can be awarded unilaterally would mean lots of more people with orders of merit. Let's say the Medal of Freedom starts right before the Civil War.
 
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With a POD after the revolution, and while preserving republicanism in general, create a situation where illustrious citizens are given a special status and onomastic prefix, akin to the British Sir/Dame.

Shouldn't be too hard, I think? Just have the idea of giving honorary titles find favour as a way of rewarding distinguished citizens (probably initially WOI heroes), and wabam.
 
With a POD after the revolution, and while preserving republicanism in general, create a situation where illustrious citizens are given a special status and onomastic prefix, akin to the British Sir/Dame.
Maybe an old Roman Republic honor title reintroduced ?
 
Maybe an old Roman Republic honor title reintroduced ?

Like what? Perhaps Vir Triumphalis (or later Femina Triumphalis) for military commanders, and Clarissimus/a for distinguished civilians? Special titles akin to Africanus, Germanicus, etc. introduced?
 
Maybe an old Roman Republic honor title reintroduced ?
Surprisingly there really aren't many titles like that from Rome. I can only think of three: dominus/domina(master), magister/magistrix (teacher/master), and Patronus/Patrona (patron/protector)
 
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