Reference: Genealogy Abbreviations & Acronyms
This page contains
some commonly used abbreviations and acronyms found when researching genealogy. Note: The use of periods and capitalization
may not be consistent in all sources.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | JK | L|
|M | N | O | P | QR | S | T | UV | 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
- d/o - daughter of
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- f. - father; female; folio; feast; feet; farm; following
- fa. - father
- f/o. - father of
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- g. - grand; great
- GAR - Grand Army of the Republic
- G.B. - Great Britain
- gch. - grandchildren
- g-d/o - granddaughter of
- 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/o - grandson of
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
- h/o - husband of
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
- m/o - mother of
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- w. - wife; will; west; widow
- wag. - wagoner
- W.B. - Will Book
- W.D. - War Department
- w.d. - will dated
- wd. - widow; ward
- wf - wife
- wf/o - wife of
- wh. - who; which
- wid. - widow
- 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
---- Return to index ------
- 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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