Daily AncestorMinor
A minor is a person under the legal age of adulthood, usually 21 in older American law; today usually 18.
A minor is a person who has not reached the age of majority, when legal adulthood begins. In older American law it was usually 21; today most states use 18. Contracts made by a minor could usually be undone.
When a court record calls an heir a minor, you know that person was under the legal age on that date, a useful limit on the birth year.
As seen in a recordPetition in county court
Wm. Hart, a minor over fourteen years
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Minor." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/relationships/minor. Last checked 2026-10-01.