Daily AncestorPer stirpes
Per stirpes is Latin for by the roots: if an heir has died, that heir's children share his or her part.
Per stirpes means by roots or by branches. Property is divided by family lines, so if one child of the deceased has died, that child's children split the parent's share among themselves.
The phrase can explain why some grandchildren in a probate record receive smaller amounts than their aunts and uncles: they are sharing their dead parent's portion.
As seen in a recordResiduary clause in a will
to be divided among my children, the issue of any deceased child to take per stirpes
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Per stirpes." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/per-stirpes. Last checked 2026-10-01.