A majordomo is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (major) person of a household (domūs or domicile) staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a large or significant residence.
A majordomo may also, more informally, be someone who oversees the day-to-day responsibilities of a business enterprise.[1] Historically, many institutions and governments – monasteries, cathedrals, and cities – as well as noble and royal houses also had the post of majordomo, who usually was in charge of finances.
Additionally, the Hispanos of New Mexico use the related term mayordomo to refer to the manager of an acequia system for a town or valley. Also, when translated into English, "mayordomo" means butler.
The origin is from la|maior domūs|principal of the house, and it was borrowed into English from Spanish Spanish; Castilian: mayordomo or obsolete Italian Italian: maiordomo. Also, it is found as French French: majordome, modern Italian Italian: maggiordomo, Portuguese and Galician Portuguese: mordomo, and Romanian and Catalan as Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: majordom.
On a few episodes of the TV sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, the Clampetts visit a castle in England and meet the castle's majordomo, Mr. Faversham, but constantly mistake his title for his name, and mistake his name for a greeting.
In the original run of the 1980's TV series Magnum, P.I., Jonathan Higgins is sometimes referred to as the majordomo of the estate where he and Magnum live, though he typically referred to himself as the estate caretaker or estate manager.
In the original run of the nightime drama Dynasty, the majordomo of the Carrington residence is Joseph Anders, played by Lee Bergere during season 1-3. The character dies by a self inflicted gunshot wound early in season 4.