Genealogy Abbreviations

GENEALOGY ABBREVIATIONS

|A| |B| |C| |D| |E| |F| |G| |H| |I| |JK| |L|
|M| |N| |O| |P| |QR| |S| |T| |U| |V| |W| |XYZ|

  • a. - about, age, acre, ante
  • a.a.r. - against all risks
  • AASP - American Antiquarian Society Proceedings
  • ab. - about; abbey
  • abbr. - abbreviation
  • abd. - abdicated
  • Abp. - Archbishop
  • abr. - abridged; abridgment
  • abs. or abstr. - abstract
  • abt. - about
  • AC - Ante Christum; ancestor chart
  • a.c. - attested copy; account current
  • acad. - academy
  • acc. - according to; account; accompanied
  • acco. - account
  • accu. - accurate
  • ackd. - acknowledged
  • actg. - acting
  • AD - [Latin] Anno Domini
  • adj. - adjoining; adjutant; adjourned
  • adm. - admission; admitted
  • admin. - administration; administrator
  • Admon. - letters of administration
  • admr. - administration
  • af. or afft. - affidavit
  • aft. - after
  • a.k.a. - also known as
  • AL - American Legion
  • ald. - alderman
  • alleg. - allegiance
  • a.l.s. - autographed letter signed
  • als. - alias
  • anc. - ancestry; ancestor; ancient
  • annot. - annotated
  • ano. - another
  • anon. - anonymous
  • ant. - antiquary; antonym
  • antiq. - antiquary; antiquities; antiquity; antiquarian
  • a.o. - account of
  • AOP - American Order of Pioneers
  • APG - Association of Professional Genealogists
  • APJI - Association for Protection of Jewish Immigrants
  • app. - apprentice; aprpoximately; appendix; appointed
  • App. Div. - Appelate division
  • appr. - appraisment
  • apprd. - apprised; appeared
  • approx. - approximately
  • apptd. - appointed
  • appx. - appendix
  • ar. co. - artillery company
  • arr. - arrived
  • ascert. - ascertain(ed)
  • ASG - American Society of Genealogists
  • asgd. - assigned
  • asr. - assessor
  • assn. or assoc. - association
  • asso. - associated; associate
  • atty. - attorney
  • au. - gold
  • aud. - auditor
  • a.w.c. - admon. (letters of administration) with will and codicil annexed
  • AWOL - absent without leave

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  • b. - born; bondsman; banns; book; birth; bachelor; brother
  • ba. - bachelor; baptized
  • bach. or batch. - bachelor
  • bap or bapt. - baptized; baptism
  • B.B. - Bail Bond
  • bcer - birth certificate
  • BCG - Board for Certification of Genealogists
  • b.d. or bdt. - birth date
  • bd. - bound; buried
  • bec. - because; became
  • bef.- before
  • bet. - between
  • BIA - Bureau of Indian Affairs
  • b.i.l. - brother-in-law
  • biog. - biography
  • bish. - bishop
  • bks. - books; barracks
  • bl. - bibliography
  • BLM - Bureau of Land Management
  • BLW - Bount Land Warrant
  • B.M. - Bench Mark; British Museum
  • bndsmn. - bondsman
  • bo or bot. - bought; bottom
  • b.o.t.p. - both of this parish
  • bp. - baptized; birthplace
  • bpl. - birthplace
  • bpt. - baptized
  • Br. - British
  • br. or bro - brother
  • bro-i-l - brother-in-law
  • B.S. - in court records, Bill of Sale
  • B.T. - Bishop's Transcripts
  • bur. or bu - buried

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  • c. - cousin; circa; codicil
  • ca. - circa
  • capt. - captain; captured; captivity
  • CAR - National Society, Children of the American Revolution
  • catal. - catalogue
  • cath. - cathedral
  • CC - County Clerk; county court, county commissioner; company commander
  • CCP - Court of Common Pleas
  • CDA - Colonial Dames of America
  • CDIB - Certified Degree of Indian Blood
  • cem. - cemetery
  • cen. or cens. - census
  • cent. - century
  • cer. or cert. - certificate
  • cf. - confer
  • CG - Certified Genealogist
  • CH - Court House
  • ch. - child; children; church; chief, chaplain
  • chan. - chancery
  • chldn. or chn. - children
  • ch/o - child of
  • chr. or chris.- christened
  • cir. - circa
  • civ. - civil
  • CJ - County Judge
  • clk. - clerk
  • cod. - codicil
  • CO - commanding officer; Colonial Office
  • co. - county; company
  • C of A - Coat of Arms
  • col. - colony; colonel
  • coll. - college; collections
  • com. - commissioner; commander; commentary; committee; common; commoner; communicate
  • comm. - commissioners
  • comp. - company
  • confer. - conferred
  • conject. - conjecture
  • cont. - continued
  • contr. - contract
  • corp. - corporal
  • couns. - counsellor
  • cous. - cousin
  • coven. - covenant
  • c.r. - church report
  • CRA - Church Records Archives
  • crspd. - correspond; correspondence
  • c.s. - copy signed
  • CSA - Confederate States of America
  • csn. - cousin; cousins
  • ct. - court; citation; county
  • CW - Civil War; church warden

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  • d. - died; death; daughter
  • DA - District Attorney
  • da. - daughter; day
  • DAB - Dictionary of American Biography
  • DAC - National Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists
  • DAR - Daughters of the American Revolution
  • dau. or daugr - daughter
  • dau-i-l - daughter-in-law
  • daus. - daughters
  • DAV - Disabled American Veterans
  • DB - Domesday Book
  • DC - District of Columbia; Deputy Clerk; Deputy County Clerk
  • DCG - Descendants of Colonial Governors
  • d. & coh. - daughter and coheiress
  • d'd. - deceased
  • dea or deac. - deacon
  • dec. or dec'd - deceased
  • decis. - decision
  • degr. - degree
  • dep. - deputy; depot
  • dept. - department
  • desc. - descendant
  • DFPA - Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America
  • devis. - devised
  • d. & h. - daughter and heiress
  • dil. - daughter-in-law
  • dio. - diocese
  • dis. - discharge
  • discip. - discipline
  • dist. - district
  • div. - division; divided; divorced; divinity
  • d/o - daughter of
  • do. - ditto
  • doc or docum. - document
  • dom. - domestic
  • dpl. - death place
  • DR - Daughter of the Revolution; Diocesan Registry
  • dr. - doctor; dram
  • d.s. - document signed; died single
  • ds. - deaths; daughters
  • dsct. - descendant
  • d.s.p. - [Latin] descessit sine parole; died without issue
  • d.s.p.m. - [Latin] descessit sine parole mascula; died without male issue
  • dt. - date
  • dto. - ditto
  • dtr. - daughter
  • dt's. - delirium tremens
  • dum. or d. um. - died unmarried
  • DVR - Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge
  • d.y. - died young

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  • E. - East or eastern
  • easi. - easily
  • ecux. - executrix; a female executor
  • E.D. - Enumeration District
  • ed. - edited; edition; editor
  • educ. - education; educated
  • Eng. - England
  • eno. - enough
  • ens. - ensign
  • ensu. - ensuing
  • est. - estate;established
  • establ. - establishment
  • estd. - estimated
  • etc. - [Latin] etcetera; and so forth
  • et. vir. - and husband
  • exc. - except; excellency; excepted; exchange
  • exec. or exor. or exr. - executor
  • exox. - executrix
  • exs. - executors
  • exx. - executrix

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  • f. - father; female; folio; feast; feet; farm; following
  • fa. - father
  • F.A. - Field Artillery
  • fam. - family; families
  • FARC - Federal Archives and Records Centers (branches of the National Archives
  • FASG - Fellow American Society of Genealogists
  • father-in-l - father-in-law
  • F.B. - Family Bible
  • f.e. - for example
  • ff. - following (pages)
  • FF's - First Families
  • FFV - First Families of Virginia
  • FGRA - Family Group Record Archives
  • FGS - Federation of Genealogical Societies
  • FHC - Family History Center
  • FHL - Family History Library
  • fidel. - fidelity
  • fil. or f.inl- father-in-law
  • f.m. - free mulatto
  • f.n. - free negro
  • foll. - following; followed
  • FR - Family Registry
  • freem. - freeman; freemen
  • ft. - foot; fort

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  • g. - grand; great
  • GAR - Grand Army of the Republic
  • G.B. - Great Britain
  • gch. - grandchildren
  • gdn. - guardian
  • GEDCOM - GEnealogical Data COMmunication
  • GH - Genelaogical Helper
  • giv. - given; giving
  • GLC - Genealogical Library Catalog
  • GLO - General Land Office
  • gm. - grandmother
  • godf. - godfather
  • godm. - godmother
  • gp. - grandparents
  • GPAI - Genealogical Periodical Annual Index
  • gr. - grand; great; grant; graduate
  • g.r. - grave record
  • grf. - grandfather
  • grmo. - grandmother
  • grs. - grandson
  • g.s. - grave stone
  • GSW 1812 - General Society of the War of 1812
  • Gt. Br. - Great Britain
  • gt. gr. - great grand
  • GTT - Gone to Texas

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  • h. - husband; heir; heiress
  • hdgrs. - headquarters
  • HEIC - Honourable East India Comapny
  • her. - heraldry
  • hers. - herself
  • HM - His or Her Majesty
  • HMS - Her (or His) Majesty's Service or Ship
  • hims. - himself
  • Hist. - History
  • hist. - historian
  • hon. - honorable
  • hon. dis. - honorably discharged
  • honor. - honorary
  • honora. - honorably
  • HSA - Huguenot Society of America
  • hund. - hundred
  • hus. - husband

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  • ibid. - [Latin] ibidem; same (reference)
  • IGI - International Genealogical Index
  • ign. - ignorant
  • illus. - illustrated
  • imp. - importation
  • inc. - incorporated; incomplete
  • incl. - included; inclusive
  • Ind. - Indians
  • IND.S.C. - Indian Survivors' Certificates
  • Ind. T. or Ind. Ter.- Indian Territory
  • Ind. W.C. - Indian Widow's Certificate
  • inf. - infant; infantry; informed
  • info. - information
  • inh. - inherited
  • inhab. - inhabitant
  • inq. - inquiry
  • ins. - insert
  • inst. - institute; institution
  • int. - intentions; interested; interred
  • inv. orinvt. - inventory

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  • JA - Judge Advocate
  • JNH - Journal of Negro History
  • JP - Justice of the Peace
  • Jr. - Junior
  • jud or judic. - judicial; judicious
  • junr. - junior
  • jur. - [Latin] jurat; certification that a document was written by the person who signed it
  • k. - killed; king
  • kn. - known
  • knt. or kt. - knight
  • KRRNY - King's Royal Regiment of New York

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  • l. - license; law
  • labr. - laborer
  • Lat. - Latin
  • lb. - pound
  • LBC - Letter Book Copy
  • LC - Library of Congress
  • ld. - land
  • ldr. - leader
  • LDS - Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • l.e. - local elder in a church
  • lib. - library
  • lic. - license
  • lieut. - lieutenant
  • li. or liv. - lived; living
  • liv. abt. - lived about
  • ll. - lines
  • lnd. - land
  • l.p. - local preacher
  • ltd. - limited

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  • m. - month; male; mother; married; marriage
  • m/1, m/2 - married first, married second, etc.
  • mag. - magistrate
  • maj. - major
  • mak. - making
  • mat. - maternal
  • m.bn. - marriage banns
  • MCA - Microfilm Corporation of America
  • MCC - Microfilm Card Catalog
  • MCD - Municipal Civil District
  • MD - Doctor of Medicine; Middle Dutch
  • md. - married
  • mem. - member; membership; memorials; memoir
  • ment. - mentioned
  • messrs. - plural of mister
  • Mex. S.C. - Mexican Survivors' Certificates
  • Mex. S.O. - Mexcian Survivorr's Originals
  • Mex. W.C. - Mexican Widows' Certificate
  • MG - Minister of the Gospel
  • m.h. - meeting house
  • MGH - Middle High German
  • m.i. - monument inscription
  • mi. - mile; miles
  • MIA - Missing in Action
  • mil or milit. - military
  • min. - minister
  • m-in-l - mother-in-law
  • MLG - Middle Low German
  • MLW - Military Land Warrant
  • MM - abbreviation for Monthly Meeting of Society of Friends (Quakers)
  • m.o. - mustered out
  • mo. - mother; month
  • mors. - death; corpse
  • mov. - moved
  • MQ - Mayflower Quarterly
  • Mr. - Mister
  • Mrs. - Mistress
  • ms. - manuscript
  • mss. - manuscripts
  • mtg. - meeting; mortgage
  • mvd. - moved
  • my/d - my daughter

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  • N. - Negro; North
  • n. - nephew; name
  • NA - National Archives in Washington, D.C.; Native American
  • na. - naturalized
  • NARS - National Archives and Record Service
  • nam. - named
  • nat. - [Latin] natus; birth; son; offspring
  • n.d. - no date
  • N.E. - New England; North Eeast
  • NEH - National Endowment for the Humanities
  • NEHGS - New England Historic Genealogical Society
  • neph. - nephew
  • neph-i-l - nephew-in-law
  • nfi - no further information
  • nfk - nothing further known
  • NGS - National Genealogical Society
  • NHPRC - National Historical Publications and Records Commission
  • nm. - name
  • nmed. - named
  • not. - noted
  • NP - Notary Public
  • n.p. - no place
  • nr. - none recorded; not recorded; naturalized
  • NS - New Style calendar; Nova Scotia
  • NSCDA - National Society of the Colonial Dames of America
  • NSDAR - National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution
  • NUCMC - National Union Catalog of Manuscript Colletions
  • nunc. - nuncupative
  • N.W. - North West
  • NWC - Navy Widow's Certificate
  • NW. Terr. - North West Territory
  • n.x.n. - no christian name

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  • o. - oath
  • O.B. - Order Book
  • ob. - obiit
  • obit. - obituary
  • o.c. - only child
  • O.E. - Old England; Old English
  • offor offic. - official
  • oft. - often
  • OM - Organized Militia
  • o.p. - out of print
  • ord. - ordained; ordinance; order; ordinary
  • org. - organization
  • orig. - origin; original
  • OS - Old Style calendar
  • o.t.p. - of this parish

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  • p. - page; per; populus; parentage; parents; pence
  • p.a. - power of attorney
  • pam. - pamphlet
  • par. - parish; parent; parents
  • pat. - patent; patented; paternal
  • pchd. - purchased
  • PE - Presiding Elder
  • peo. - people
  • perh. - perhaps
  • petitn. or petn. - petition
  • petr. - petitioner
  • ph. - parish
  • PI - Preliminary Inventories
  • pion. - pioneer
  • PJP - Probate Judge of the Peace
  • PLB - Poor Law Board
  • plt. - plantiff
  • P.M. - Post Meridiem; afternoon; Post Mortem; after death; Police magistrate
  • P.O. - Post Office
  • POA - Power of Attorney
  • POE - Port of Entry
  • pp. - pages
  • PPA - per power of Attorney
  • pr. - proved; probated
  • p.r. - parish record
  • preced. - preceding
  • PRO - Public Record Office
  • pro. - probate; proved
  • prob. - probable; probably
  • prop. - property
  • propr. - proprietor(s)
  • provis. - provision
  • pt. - point; port; petition; pint
  • ptf. - plaintiff
  • pub. - public; published; publisher; publication
  • pvt. - private
  • pymt. - payment

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  • q. - [Latin] quarto; oversize book
  • q.y. - query
  • r. - rector; rex; rejected; river; road
  • R. - Range; Rabbi; River; Road
  • rat. - rated
  • R.C. - Roman Catholic
  • rcdr. - recorder
  • rcpt. - receipt
  • RD - release of dower rights
  • re. - regarding
  • rec. - record
  • reg. - register
  • Reg. Gen. - Registrar General
  • rel. - relative
  • reld. - relieved
  • rel-i-l - relative-in-law
  • ren. - renunciation
  • rep. - report; representative; reprint; reprinted
  • repl. - replaced; replacement
  • repud. - repudiated
  • res. - research; residence; resides
  • respectiv. - respectively
  • ret. - retired
  • Rev. - Reverend; Revolutionary War
  • Rev. War - Revolutionary War
  • RG - Registered Genealogist
  • rgstr. - registrar
  • RIP - [Latin] requiescat in pace; rest in peace
  • rinq. - relinquished
  • Rom. - Roman
  • RR - railroad

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  • s. - son(s)/ soldier; survivor; spinster; successor; shilling
  • s. and h. - son and heir
  • SAR - Sons of the American Revolution
  • SASE - self-addressed stamped envelope
  • SCV - Sons of Confederate Veterans
  • s'd - said [found in legal documents]
  • scatt. - scattering; scattered
  • SDA - Seventh Day Adventists
  • S.E. - southeast
  • sec. - second; secretary; section; sector; security
  • serg. - sergeant
  • serv. - service; servant
  • sett. - settlers; settler
  • sev. - several
  • sh. - share; ship
  • sil - son-in-law
  • sin. - [Latin] sine; without
  • sis. - sister
  • sn. - [Latin] sine; without
  • s/o - son of
  • SO - Survivors' Originals
  • soc. - society; societies
  • s.p. - [Latin] sine prole; without offspring
  • s.p.l. - [Latin] sine prole legitima; without legitimate offspring
  • s.p.m. - [Latin] sine prole mascula; without male offspring
  • spell. - spelling; spelled
  • spr. - sponsor
  • sr. - senior
  • srnms. - surnames
  • st. - saint; street
  • sup. - supply; superior
  • supt. - superintendent
  • surg. - surgeon
  • SUV - Sons of Union Veterans
  • sw. - swear; sworn
  • syl.- syllable

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  • T. - Township
  • tak. - taken
  • terr. - territory
  • test. - testament
  • tho. - though
  • thot. - thought
  • thro. - through
  • TIB - Temple (Records) Index Bureau
  • tn. - town; township
  • top. - topographical
  • Tp. - Township
  • t.p. - title page
  • t.p.m. - title page mutilated
  • t.p.w. - title page wanting
  • tr. - troop; translated; translation
  • transcr. - transcribed
  • transl. - translation
  • treas. - treasurer
  • TRIB - Temple Records Index Bureau
  • TVA - Tennessee Valley Authority
  • twn. - town
  • twp. - township
  • ty. - territory

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  • UDC - United Daughters of the Confederacy
  • U.K. - United Kingdom
  • unasgd. - unassigned
  • unc. - uncle
  • unit. - uniting; united
  • unk. - unknown
  • unm. - unmarried
  • unorg. - unorganized
  • USCG - United States Coast Guard
  • USCT - United States Colored Troops
  • USMC - United States Marine Corps
  • USN - United States Navy
  • USWPA - United States Works Progress Administration

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  • v.a. - [Latin] vixit annos; (s)he lived (a certain number) years
  • var. - various; variation; variant
  • VFW - Veterans of Foreign Wars
  • VIP - Very Important Person
  • Vis. or Visc. - Viscount; Viscountess
  • vit. - vital
  • viz. - [Latin] videlicet; namely
  • V.L. - Vulgar Latin
  • vols. - volunteers; volumes
  • v.r. - vital records
  • vs. - versus
  • v.s. - vital statistics

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  • w. - wife; will; west; widow
  • wag. - wagoner
  • W.B. - Will Book
  • W.D. - War Department
  • w.d. - will dated
  • wd. - widow; ward
  • wf/o - wife of
  • wh. - who; which
  • wit. - witness
  • wk(s). - week(s)
  • wnt. - wants
  • W.O. - Widow's Originals
  • w/o - wife of
  • W.O. - Warrant Officer
  • w.p. - will probated; will proved
  • WPA - Works Progress Administration
  • WRHS - Western Reserve Historical Society
  • W.S. - Writer to the Signet
  • wtn. - witness
  • ww. - widow
  • ww/o - widow of
  • wwr. - widower

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  • X - a mark made by a person instead of a signature; Christ; Christian
  • x ch. - exchange
  • Xn. - Christian
  • Xnty. - Christianity
  • Xped. - Christened
  • Xr. - Christian
  • Xt. - Christ
  • Xtian. - Christian
  • Xty. - Christianity
  • y. - year
  • yd. - graveyard
  • yr. - year; younger; your

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