The Dukedom, named after the Clan Gordon, was first created for the 4th Marquess of Huntly, who on 3 November 1684 was created Duke of Gordon, Marquess of Huntly, Earl of Huntly and Enzie (all three of which he already held by an older creation), Viscount of Inverness, and Lord Strathaven, Balmore, Auchindoun, Garthie and Kincardine.

On 2 July 1784, the 4th Duke was created Earl of Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, and Baron Gordon, of Huntley in the County of Gloucester, in the Peerage of Great Britain.

Most of the Gordon estates passed to the son of the 5th Duke's eldest sister, the 5th Duke of Richmond, whose main seat was Goodwood House in Sussex.

[1] In 1876 his son, the 6th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, was created Duke of Gordon, of Gordon Castle in Scotland, and Earl of Kinrara, in the County of Inverness.

Thus, the Duke holds four dukedoms (including the French title Duke of Aubigny in the defunct Peerage of France), more than any other person in the realm; or (not counting the putative French title) three, equal since 2022 to Prince William, Duke of Cornwall, of Rothesay and of Cambridge.