In 'Employment bylaw of Kyujo nyokan (court lady in the place where Emperor lives)' in the early Taisho period, it was described that when higher ranked court ladies such as Naishi no suke and Gon no naishi no suke are adopted, 'they should be selected from daughters of former tosho, former lords among peerage', so they were selected from kuge and Daimyo family (feudal lord family) before the Meiji restoration among the peerage (however, for the lower ranked court lady, woman who was not from the peerage was allowed to work in the palace only in her generation depending on her ability).
大正初期の「宮城女官採用内規」には典侍、権典侍などの宮中上級女官の採用には「旧堂上旧諸侯華族子女のうちより選抜」とあり、華族であっても明治維新前の公家や大名家から選ぶことになっていた（ただし下級女官については能力によって、華族出身でなくても一代に限り出仕することが許されていた。