Daily Ancestorrelicta
Relicta is Latin for widow, literally the woman left behind, often followed by the late husband's name.
Relicta means left behind and was used for a widow, usually followed by her husband's name in the genitive: Maria relicta Joannis Bauer, the widow of Johann Bauer. The masculine relictus can mean a widower.
The English word relict comes from it and was used the same way in American records. Both point back to the husband's death, so look for his burial before the date of the entry.
As seen in a recordBride's name in a Latin marriage entry
Maria, relicta Joannis Bauer
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "relicta." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/latin/relicta. Last checked 2026-10-01.