Daily AncestorD.D.
D.D. after a minister's name means Doctor of Divinity, a degree that in the United States was usually honorary.
D.D. stands for Doctor of Divinity. In the United States it was usually an honorary degree given to a respected minister, so Rev. Jas. Shaw, D.D. was a clergyman, not a medical doctor.
The letters show standing in his church. Seminary and college catalogs, church yearbooks and county histories often carry biographies of such ministers.
As seen in a recordNewspaper marriage notice
Married by Rev. Jas. Shaw, D.D.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "D.D.." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/dd. Last checked 2026-10-10.