Given Name Abbreviations
19 abbreviations · part of Common Abbreviations
Old documents such as wills, deeds, census returns, ship manifests and parish registers routinely shorten common first names: Wm. for William, Chas. for Charles, Jas. for James, Jno. for John. Clerks used contractions, keeping the first and last letters and often raising the end above the line, or simple truncations, and the forms persisted in signatures and company names into the 20th century. Misreading them, for example confusing Jas. with Jos., is a common source of errors in transcriptions and genealogical indexes.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alexr. | Alexander | Scottish and colonial American clerks wrote Alexander this way in old records, often with the final r raised above the line. |
| Benj. | Benjamin | Truncated form of Benjamin found in old documents, almanacs, city directories, ledgers and signatures. |
| Chas. | Charles | Clerks, printers and sign painters wrote Charles this way in older documents, business names, newspapers and signatures. |
| Danl. | Daniel | Contraction of Daniel used in colonial and 19th-century records, deeds, muster rolls and ledgers, typically with the final l written above the line by the clerk. |
| Edw. | Edward | Contracted spelling of Edward in older documents, signatures, wills and records, especially in Britain, where the name was borne by many kings. |
| Eliz. | Elizabeth | Among the most frequently abbreviated female names, standing for Elizabeth in old records, wills, census returns and baptismal registers. |
| Fredk. | Frederick | Represents Frederick in 19th-century records, ledgers, signatures and business names. |
| Geo. | George | Appears for George in old deeds, signatures, newspapers, census returns and business names. |
| Hy. | Henry | Uncommon but genuine contraction of Henry in older documents, receipts and business names, sometimes written Hy without a period or as Hen. |
| Jas. | James | Stands in for James throughout old letters, wills, census returns and signatures. |
| Jno. | John | Old written form of John in colonial American and British records, letters, tax lists and signatures. |
| Jos. | Joseph | Short written form of Joseph in old documents, censuses, signatures and company names. |
| Margt. | Margaret | Contracted form of Margaret in old records, wills, parish registers and census returns, keeping the first four letters and the final t. |
| Nathl. | Nathaniel | Contraction of Nathaniel in colonial American and English records, church covenants, signatures and ledgers. |
| Richd. | Richard | Clerks wrote Richard this way in old records, letters, witness lists and signatures, keeping the first four letters and the final d. |
| Robt. | Robert | Written for Robert in old records, letters, ship manifests, ledgers and business names. |
| Saml. | Samuel | Colonial and 19th-century clerks shortened Samuel this way in records, ledgers, receipts and signatures, often raising the final letters above the line as a mark of… |
| Thos. | Thomas | Represents Thomas in old records, ledgers, gravestones, signatures and business names, as in Thos. |
| Wm. | William | The standard written form of William in old records, letters, ledgers, censuses and gravestones, often with the m raised above the line. |
More common abbreviations
- Citation and Bibliography Abbreviations (58)
- Classified Ad Abbreviations (70)
- Email and Office Abbreviations (60)
- Everyday Abbreviations (82)
- Genealogy Abbreviations (29)
- Grammar and Dictionary Abbreviations (93)
- Latin Abbreviations (53)
- Mail and Postal Abbreviations (35)
- Proofreading and Correction Mark Abbreviations (29)
- Title and Honorific Abbreviations (54)