Ayatollah IS a title. For example, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's
name is Ruhollah Khomeini and his position/title is Ayatollah. the
term Ayatollah comes from the Arabic "ayat" (sign) "Allah" (God)
which makes the Ayatollah, the Sign of God. Ayatollahs are
highly-regarded clerics in the Shiite Islam with a similar rank in
that religion to Cardinals in Catholicism or the Patriarchs in
Orthodox Christianity. Sunni Islam does not have an equivalent
position to Ayatollah.