Daily AncestorDy
Dy or Dor. in old records is an abbreviation of the first name Dorothy.
Dy is a contraction: it keeps the first and last letters of Dorothy and drops the middle, which is why it has no period in the name lists. The y was often raised above the line. Dor. is a plainer shortening.
Dy is easy to misread as a stray mark or a surname. Look at the sex column or the wife's name elsewhere before you decide.
As seen in a recordEntry in a church register
Dy Hallam, wife of Jno. Hallam
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Dy." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/dy. Last checked 2026-10-12.