Latin in records · card S

sponsus

Sponsus is Latin for "groom" or "betrothed man"; the bride is the sponsa.

Sponsus means bridegroom, or a man engaged to marry. Marriage registers and banns books use sponsus and sponsa to introduce the couple, often with their ages, parents and parishes.

Because the same word covers both an engaged and a married man, read the whole entry. A banns or betrothal record shows that a marriage was planned, not that it took place.

As seen in a recordMarriage register with printed columns
Sponsus: Joannes Miller, 26 annorum. Sponsa: Maria Weber, 22 annorum
How to cite this page

Daily Ancestor. "sponsus." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/latin/sponsus. Last checked 2026-10-01.

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