Daily Ancestorignotus
Ignotus is Latin for unknown, as in pater ignotus (father unknown) in a baptism entry.
Ignotus means unknown. In baptism entries pater ignotus marks a child whose father was not recorded, and in burial entries it may mark a stranger whose name or home was not known.
Like N.N., it can hide a person the priest chose not to name. Court records on child support may name the father.
As seen in a recordLatin baptism register entry
pater ignotus; mater: Maria Hahn
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "ignotus." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/latin/ignotus. Last checked 2026-10-01.