First Name Abbreviations
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In many historic documents, first names were abbreviated. For example, old street directories and city directories always abbreviated common first names. Parish records often abbreviated familiar Christian names. This was done to save space and paper. In some jurisdictions, census enumerators would also abbreviate common first names when going door to door to save time.
Knowledge of first name abbreviations can be very helpful in tracking down ancestors. For example, knowing that Chas is a short form for Charles, Geo represents George, My means Mary and Hy means Henry opens up many more possibilities when looking through historic ancestral records.
It took us several years to collect and compile a list of common abbreviations for first names. To our knowledge, this is the most exhaustive list available on an important but often overlooked aspect of genealogy.
We recommend going the list below to familiarize yourself with common first name abbreviations and then reference the list as required when searching for specific ancestors.
Please note that when looking at old handwritten letters and records, the best indication of an abbreviation is that the author would usually superscript (raise the lettering of) the last one or two characters of the word. For example, a typed record might show an abbreviation for Joseph as Jos, whereas the handwritten record would usually show it as Jos. Similarly for Elizabeth, it would appear Elizth in typed form and Elizth in handwritten form.
Some authors also showed abbreviations by handwriting a horizontal line above or through the text, as in Dy for Dorothy.
| Ab | Abraham |
| Abig | Abigail |
| Abr | Abraham |
| Abra | Abraham |
| Ad | Adelard |
| Adr | Adrian, Adrien, Adrienne |
| Agn | Agnes |
| Alb | Albert, Albina |
| Albt | Albert |
| Alc | Alice |
| Alex | Alexander, Alexandre, Alexandrine |
| Ale | Alethea | Alf | Alfred |
| Alfd | Alfred |
| Alph | Alphonse, Alphonsine |
| Am | Amanda |
| Amb | Ambrose |
| And | Andrew, André |
| Andw | Andrew |
| Ang | Angeline, Angelique |
| An | Anne, Anna |
| Ani | Annie |
| Ant | Antoine, Antoinette |
| Anth | Anthony |
| Anthy | Anthony |
| Arch | Archibald |
| Archd | Archibald |
| Art |
Arthur |
| Arth | Arthur, Arthemise |
| Aud | Audrey |
| Aug | August, Auguste, Augustin, Augustine |
| Balt | Balthazar |
| Barb | Barbara |
| Bart | Bartholomew |
| Barth | Barthelemy |
| Bea | Beatrice |
| Ben | Benjamin |
| Benj |
Benjamin |
| Bern | Bernard, Bernadette |
| Brid | Bridget, Bridgette |
| Car | Caroline |
| Cath | Catherine |
| Cathne | Catherine |
| Charlt | Charlotte |
| Chals | Charles |
| Chas | Charles |
| Chs | Charles |
| Chris | Christopher |
| Clem | Clement, Clementine |
| Clif | Clifford |
| Clifd | Clifford |
| Cons | Constance |
| Const | Constance |
| Corn | Cornelius |
| Cor’us | Cornelius |
| Cuthbt | Cuthbert |
| Dan | Daniel |
| Danl | Daniel |
| Dav | David |
| Deb | Deborah |
| Delbt | Delbert |
| Den | Dennis |
| Dom | Dominique |
| Don | Donald |
| Dor | Dorothy |
| Doug | Douglas |
| Dy | Dorothy |
| Eben | Ebenezer |
| Ed | Edward, Edouard, Edmund |
| Edm | Edmond, Edmund |
| Edw | Edward |
| Elis | Elisabeth |
| Eliz | Elizabeth |
| Eliza | Elizabeth |
| Elizh | Elizabeth |
| Elizth | Elizabeth |
| Elnr | Eleanor |
| Em | Emmanuel, Emma, Emily |
| Eml | Emily |
| Ern | Ernest, Ernestine |
| Esth | Esther |
| Etne | Etienne |
| Euc | Euclide |
| Eug | Eugene, Eugenie |
| Eugne | Eugene |
| Eus | Eustace |
| Ezek | Ezekiel |
| Fel | Felicite |
| Ferd | Ferdinand |
| Fern | Fernand, Fernande |
| Flo | Florence |
| Flor | Florence |
| Fra | Francis (male) |
| Fran | Frances (female) |
| Fred | Frederick, Frédéric |
| Fredk | Frederick |
| Fs | Francis (male) |
| Frs | Francis (male), Frances (female), François, Françoise |
| Frs. X | François-Xavier |
| Gab | Gabrielle |
| Gen | Genevieve |
| Geo | George, Georges, Georgette, Georgina, Georgiana |
| Geof | Geoffrey |
| Ger | Gerald, Geraldine, Gerard |
| Germ | Germaine |
| Gert | Gertrude |
| Gilbt | Gilbert |
| Godf | Godfrey |
| Graz | Graziella |
| Grif | Griffith |
| Gul | William (in Latin Gulielmus) |
| Guliel | William (in Latin Gulielmus) |
| Gwen |
Gwendolyn |
| Han | Hannah |
| Har | Harold |
| Hel | Helen, Hellene |
| Hen | Henry |
| Henr | Henriette |
| Hep | Hephzibah |
| Herb | Herbert |
| Herbt | Herbert |
| Hest | Hester |
| Hon | Honour |
| Hub | Hubert |
| Hubt | Hubert |
| Hum | Humphrey |
| Humy | Humphrey |
| Hy | Henry |
| Ioh | John (in Latin) |
| Ir | Irene |
| Isab | Isabel, Isabelle |
| Isb | Isabel, Isabelle |
| Ja | James |
| Jabus | James (in Latin Jacobus) |
| Jac | James (in Latin Jacobus) |
| Jacq | Jacques, Jacquelline |
| J. Bte | Jean-Baptiste |
| Jas | James |
| Jean | Jean, Jeannette |
| Jer | Jeremiah |
| Jere | Jeremiah |
| Jerh | Jeremiah |
| Jermh | Jeremiah |
| Jn | John, Jean |
| Jne | Jeanne |
| Jno | John |
| Jnthn | Jonathan |
| Jon | Jonathan |
| Jone | Joan (sometimes misspelt) |
| Jos | Joseph, Joséphat |
| Josh | Joshua, Josiah |
| Jro | Jerome |
| Jsph | Joseph |
| Jud | Judith |
| Jul | Julian, Juliette |
| Kath | Katherine |
| Ken | Kenneth |
| Lan | Lancelot |
| Lau | Laurence |
| Lawr | Lawrence |
| Len | Leonard |
| Leo | Leopold |
| Leon | Leonard |
| Let | Letitia, Lettice |
| Ls | Louis |
| Lse | Louise |
| Luc | Lucian, Lucien, Lucienne |
| Lyd | Lydia |
| Mad | Madeleine |
| Marc | Marcelline |
| Marg | Margaret, Marguerite |
| Margt | Margaret |
| Mart | Martha |
| Margt | Margaret |
| Margy | Margery |
| Marm | Marmaduke |
| Mat | Matthias, Mathias, Matthew, Mathieu |
| Math | Mathias, Mathilde |
| Mathw | Mathew |
| Matt | Mathew |
| Mau | Maurice |
| Mgt | Margaret |
| Mic | Michael |
| Mich | Michael, Miche |
| Michl | Michael |
| Mill | Millicent |
| My | Mary |
| Nap | Napoleon |
| Nar | Narcisse |
| Nath | Nathaniel |
| Nathl | Nathaniel |
| Naz | Nazaire |
| Neh | Nehemiah |
| Nic | Nicholas, Nicole |
| Nich | Nicholas |
| Nicho | Nicholas |
| Nichs | Nicholas |
| Ns | Nicholas |
| Oct | Octave |
| Ol | Oliver, Olivier |
| Pama | Pamelia |
| Pat | Patrick, Patrice, Patricia |
| Patk | Patrick |
| Pen | Penelope |
| Pet | Peter |
| Ph | Phillip, Philippe |
| Phil | Phillip, Philippe |
| Phin | Phineas |
| Phyl | Phyllis |
| Pre | Pierre |
| Prisc | Priscilla |
| Pru | Prudence |
| Rach | Rachel |
| Ray | Raymond |
| Rayd | Raymond |
| Reb | Rebecca |
| Reba | Rebecca |
| Reg | Reginald |
| Regd | Reginald |
| Ric | Richard |
| Rich | Richard |
| Richd | Richard |
| Richdus | Richardus (Richard in Latin) |
| Robt | Robert |
| Rodk | Roderick |
| Rog | Roger |
| Rol | Roland |
| Ron | Ronald |
| Rowl | Rowland |
| Rph | Ralph |
| Sam | Samuel |
| Saml | Samuel |
| Sar | Sarah |
| Sid | Sidney |
| Silv | Sylvester |
| Sim | Simon |
| Sol | Solomon |
| Stan | Stanley |
| Steph | Stephen |
| Sus | Susan, Susanna |
| Susna | Susanna, Susannah |
| Suz | Suzanne |
| Syd | Sydney |
| Tam | Thomasin, Tamsin |
| Teles | Telesphore |
| Theo | Theodore |
| Ther | Therese |
| Tho | Thomas |
| Thos | Thomas |
| Ths | Thomas |
| Tim | Timothy |
| Tous | Toussaint |
| Tristm | Tristram |
| Urs | Ursala |
| Val | Valentine |
| Vic | Victor |
| Vinc | Vincent |
| Virg | Virginia |
| Walt | Walther |
| Wilf | Wilfred, Wilfrid |
| Wilfd | Wilfred |
| Wm | William |
| Xpher | Christopher (in Latin) |
| Xpr | Christopher (in Latin) |
| Xtianus | Christian (in Latin) |
| Xtopherus | Christopher (in Latin) |
| Zach | Zachariah |
Further Resources
