Daily AncestorJos.
Jos. is an old abbreviation of the first name Joseph, common in deeds, wills, church registers and census pages.
Jos. is a clerk's shorthand for the given name Joseph. Writers shortened common first names to save time and ink, usually by keeping the first letters and the last one or two, often with the final letters raised above the line.
In American name lists and census pages it is the usual short form of Joseph, though in Bible references Jos. can stand for Joshua. Do not confuse it with Josh., which is usually Joshua and sometimes Josiah.
As seen in a recordBusiness name in a store account book
Jos. Wood & Co., merchants
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Daily Ancestor. "Jos.." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations/jos. Last checked 2026-10-01.