As Ragusan society became society stratified, the position and role of the Ston nobility was being determined. This singular noble title, with no prerogative, was conferred by the Dubrovnik Senate in the period, from the mid18th century until the fall of the Republic in 1808, on those citizens and consuls furnished with a nobility diploma, who were to contribute to the well-being of the Republic with their activities abroad. In some rare cases, the title was granted as an honor. Supplemented by the basic genealogical and biographical references to 24 members of the Ston nobility, the paper also addresses the question of why the Habsburg Monarchy did not recognize this title.

U sklopu procesa dubrovačke društvene stratifikacije definira se pojava i uloga stonskoga plemstva. Taj osobiti plemićki naslov, bez prerogativa, dodjeljivao je dubrovački Senat od polovice 18. st. uglavnom onim građanima i konzulima kojisu svojom djelatnošću u inozemstvu, s plemićkom diplomom, mogli učinkovitije pridonositi političkim ciljevima Republike. Samo je u nekim slučajevima titula imala prvenstveno počasni karakter. Uz osnovne genealoške i biografske podatke o nositeljima stonskog plemstva, razmatra se i nepriznavanje ovog plemićkog naslova u Habsburškoj Monarhiji.