At the time when the regency was started, myobu became the title for court ladies of churo (the middle grade ladies-in-waiting); they were named after the official position of their father or husband, such as shosho (minor captain) no Myobu, sho (junior assistant minister) no Myobu,nakatsukasa (Ministry of Central Affairs) no Myobu, and kouma no Myobu, which eventually became proper nouns.
摂関政治がはじまる頃には、命婦は中臈の女房の称号となり、父や夫の官職に因んで、少将命婦、少輔命婦、中務命婦、小馬命婦などと称するようになり固有名詞となっていった。