dec'd

Writing & Everyday abbreviation · Genealogy

dec'd stands for Deceased, a genealogy abbreviation also used in law.

Marks a person as dead in wills, probate records, legal notices and genealogical abstracts, as in "John Hale, dec'd." It often identifies the person whose estate is being administered.

Example: Notice to creditors: estate of Margaret Ellis, dec'd, late of 14 Oak Lane.

Usage notes

Variants include decd., dec. and decsd. Estate notices traditionally add "late of" with the person's last address. In genealogy, a will or deed describing someone as deceased helps fix the latest possible date of death.

Related abbreviations

More genealogy abbreviations

• cem. – Cemetery
• chr. – Christened
• d. – Died
• d.s.p. – Decessit sine prole (died without issue)
• d.v.p. – Decessit vita patris (died in the father's lifetime)
• dau. – Daughter
• do. – Ditto
• exr. – Executor
• GEDCOM – Genealogical Data Communication
• GGF – Great-grandfather
• inf. – Infant
• m. – Married

See all 29 genealogy abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.