Abbreviations

Shorthand for names, dates and record words. Free to print and share. Full explanations: dailyancestor.com/dictionary/abbreviations

&c.

And so on (et cetera)

[sic]

Thus: the error is in the original

Abig.

Abigail

Abr.

Abraham

abt.

About (an estimated date)

acct.

Account (as in an estate account)

admon.

Letters of administration

admr.

Administrator of an estate

admx.

Administratrix (female administrator)

aet.

Aged (at the age of)

Al

Alien, no steps to citizenship (census code)

Ala.

Alabama

Alexr.

Alexander

Ant.

Anthony

Ark.

Arkansas

b.

Born

B.V.M.

Blessed Virgin Mary

bapt.

Baptized

Bart.

Bartholomew

Benj.

Benjamin

Bro.

Brother (a family or church title)

bur.

Buried

C.S.A.

Confederate States (of America, or its Army)

Cal.

California

Capt.

Captain

Cath.

Catherine (or Catholic, by context)

Chas.

Charles

chn.

Children

Co.

County, or company (military or business)

col.

Colored (a racial label in older records)

Conn.

Connecticut

cous.

Cousin

Cpl.

Corporal

Cr.

Credit or creditor (in accounts)

cts.

Cents

d.

Died

d.s.p.

Died without children (decessit sine prole)

d.s.p.l.

Died without legitimate children

d.s.p.m.

Died without a son

d.v.p.

Died before the father (decessit vita patris)

Danl.

Daniel

dau.

Daughter

dec'd

Already dead when the record was written

Dec.

December (not deceased)

Del.

Delaware

do.

The same as the line above (ditto)

Dr.

Debtor or debit (in accounts); also Doctor

Edm.

Edmund

Edw.

Edward

Eliz.

Elizabeth

Emp

Employer (1910 census)

Ens.

Ensign

Esq.

Esquire (title of respect for officials)

et al.

And other people (et alii)

et ux.

And wife

exr.

Executor

exrx.

Executrix (female executor)

Ezek.

Ezekiel

fol.

Folio: a numbered leaf or page of a book

Fredk.

Frederick

G.A.R.

Grand Army of the Republic (Union veterans)

Ga.

Georgia

Gent.

Gentleman (a man of social standing)

Geo.

George

Gul.

William (from Latin Gulielmus)

Han.

Hannah

Hon.

Honorable (title for an official)

Hy.

Henry

Ill.

Illinois

Ind.

Indiana

Inf.

Infantry

inst.

This month (the current month)

inv.

Inventory of an estate

Is.

Isaac

Jac.

James (or Jacob, from Latin Jacobus)

Jas.

James

Jer.

Jeremiah

Jno.

John

Jon.

Jonathan

Jos.

Joseph

Josh.

Joshua

Jr.

Junior (the younger of two same-named men)

Kan.

Kansas

Ky.

Kentucky

La.

Louisiana

Lawr.

Lawrence

Leon.

Leonard

lib.

Liber: a numbered record book

Lieut.

Lieutenant

M

Mulatto (census color code)

m.

Married

M2

Married more than once (1910 census)

Margt.

Margaret

Mass.

Massachusetts

Matt.

Matthew

Md.

Maryland

Me.

Maine

Messrs.

Plural of Mr. (gentlemen)

Mich.

Michigan

Minn.

Minnesota

Miss.

Mississippi

Mo.

Missouri

N.B.

Note well (pay attention)

N.C.

North Carolina

N.H.

New Hampshire

N.J.

New Jersey

N.Y.

New York

Na

Naturalized (census citizenship code)

Nath.

Nathaniel

Neb.

Nebraska

Nich.

Nicholas

OA

Own account, self-employed (1910 and 1920 census)

Ore.

Oregon

Pa

First papers filed (census citizenship code)

par.

Parish

Pat.

Patrick

Penn.

Pennsylvania

Pet.

Peter

Phil.

Philip

prox.

Next month

Pvt.

Private

R.F.D.

Rural Free Delivery (a rural mail route)

R.I.

Rhode Island

Reb.

Rebecca

rec'd

Received

Regt.

Regiment

Rev.

Reverend (title of a minister)

Richd.

Richard

Robt.

Robert

S.C.

South Carolina

S.J.

Society of Jesus (a Jesuit priest)

Saml.

Samuel

Sar.

Sarah

Sgt.

Sergeant

Sol.

Solomon

Sr.

Senior (the older of two same-named men)

Ste.

Stephen

Sus.

Susan or Susanna

Tenn.

Tennessee

Tex.

Texas

Theo.

Theodore

Thos.

Thomas

Tim.

Timothy

Twp.

Township

U.S.C.T.

United States Colored Troops

ult.

Last month

unm.

Unmarried

Va.

Virginia

vide

See (go to another entry)

viz.

Namely

Vt.

Vermont

w.d.

Will dated

Wd

Widowed (census marital status code)

wid.

Widow

Wis.

Wisconsin

wit.

Witness

Wm.

William

Xtian

Christian

Xtopher

Christopher

ye

The (written with y for th)

yrs.

Years (of age or of time)

yt

That (written with y for th)

Zach.

Zachariah

£ s. d.

Pounds, shillings and pence