For naming conventions, please see Medieval Kingdoms of Western Europe.

A military order is a Christian society of knights that was founded for crusading, i.e. propagating and/or defending the faith (originally Catholic, after the reformation sometimes Protestant), either in the Holy Land or against Islam (Reconquista) or pagans (mainly Baltic region) in Europe. Many orders became secularized later.

List of military orders

• Knights Hospitaller (1080)
• Order of Saint James of Altopascio (c.1075)
• Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (1099)
• Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (1113)
• Knights Templar (c.1118)
• Order of Saint Lazarus (c.1123)
• Order of Saint Michael of the Wing (1147)
• Order of Calatrava (1158)
• Order of Aubrac (1162)
• Order of Santiago (1170)
• Order of Aviz (1176)
• Order of Alcántara (1177)
• Order of Mountjoy (c.1180)
• Teutonic Knights (1190)
• Hospitallers of Saint Thomas of Canterbury at Acre (1191)
• Order of Monfragüe (1196)
• Order of Sant Jordi d'Alfama (1201)
• Livonian Brothers of the Sword (1202)
• Order of Dobrzyń (1216)
• Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy (1218)
• Knights of the Cross with the Red Star (before 1219)
• Militia of the Faith of Jesus Christ (1221)
• Order of the Faith and Peace (1231)
• Militia of Jesus Christ (1233)
• Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1261)
• Order of Santa María de España (1275)
• Order of Montesa (1317)
• Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1318)
• Order of the Dragon (1408)
• Order of Saint Maurice (1434)
• Order of Our Lady of Bethlehem (1459)
• Order of Saint George of Carinthia (1469)
• Order of Saint George of Parma (before 1522)
• Order of Saint Stephen (1561)