Family tree abbreviations are shortened versions of words or phrases, and can be easier to use, especially on a family tree when space can be limited.
You are sure to find many family tree abbreviations in transcripts of parish registers, census returns, other transcripts, indexes and genealogy books as you conduct family history research.
These abbreviations are unique to family history research and genealogy, and may not be found in any other fields or industries.
When you peruse a family tree, you will probably see the letter b. or d. before a date, which stands for born or died, and so when you are compiling your family tree, it is prudent to use the same family tree abbreviations.
It is a good idea to use b. for born, bap. for baptised, m. for married and bur. for buried, and use this abbreviation throughout your family tree.
You should ensure you do not cause confusion when compiling your tree, so if you use a single letter to signify a surname such as D for Dunkley on your work, you should use the same letter(s) on every document and also include a description of what it means.
This will help other people to understand what you have written and makes it easier to remember the letter(s) you have used.
Common family tree abbreviations
| Common family tree abbreviations | |
|---|---|
| abs. | Abstract |
| abt. | About |
| admin. | Administration |
| afsd. | Aforesaid |
| als. | Alias |
| appx. | Appendix |
| Bach. | Bachelor |
| Bap. | Baptised |
| b. | Born |
| bef. | Before |
| b.o.t.p | Both of this Parish |
| Bur. | Buried |
| By lic. | Married by Licence |
| c. | Circa (About) |
| ca. | Circa (About) |
| chr. | Christened |
| d. | Died |
| d/o | Daughter of |
| Dau. | Daughter |
| div. | Divorced |
| dsp. or osp. | Died childless |
| et al. | And others |
| exec. | Executor |
| gf. | Grandfather |
| gm. | Grandmother |
| ggf. | Great Grandfather |
| ggm. | Great Grandmother |
| GS. | Grandson |
| h/o | Husband of |
| hus. | Husband |
| inf. | Infant |
| junr. | Junior |
| KIA. | Killed in Action |
| Lat. | Latin |
| lic. | Licence |
| m. or marr. | Married |
| MI. | Monumental Inscriptions |
| ML. | Marriage Licence |
| n.d. | Not dated |
| n.p. | No place |
| N.S. | New Style (Gregorian) Calendar |
| Née | Maiden name |
| obit. | Obituary |
| O.S. | Old Style (Julian) Calendar |
| o.t.p. | Of this Parish |
| p.r. | Parish Register |
| R.C. | Roman Catholic |
| reg. | Register |
| ret. | Retired |
| s. | Son |
| s & h. | Son and Heir |
| s/o | Son of |
| serv. | Servant |
| soc. | Society |
| spin. | Spinster (unmarried) |
| unk. | Unknown |
| unm. | Unmarried |
| vols. | Volumes |
| w. | Wife |
| w/c. | With consent of |
| w/o | Wife of |
| w.d. | Will dated |
| wdr. | Widower |
| wid. | Widow |
Other family history abbreviations
| Other family history abbreviations | |
|---|---|
| AKA. | Also Known As |
| BMD. | Births, Marriages, Deaths |
| CRO. | County Record Office |
| FFHS. | Federation of Family History Societies |
| IGI. | International Genealogical Index |
| LDS. | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |
| ONS. | Office of National Statistics |
| PCC. | Prerogative Court of Canterbury |
| PCY. | Prerogative Court of York |
| PRONI. | Public Record Office of Northern Ireland |
| SOG. | Society of Genealogists |
| TNA. | The National Archives |
Similar provisions also apply (Chapman County Codes) for the counties of England and Wales. These were in existence until local government was re-organised in 1974:
| Chapman County Codes for the Counties of England | |
|---|---|
| BDF. | Bedfordshire |
| BRK. | Berkshire |
| BKM. | Buckinghamshire |
| CAM. | Cambridgeshire |
| CHS. | Cheshire |
| CON. | Cornwall |
| CUL. | Cumberland |
| DBY. | Derbyshire |
| DEV. | Devon |
| DUR. | Durham |
| ESS. | Essex |
| GLS. | Gloucestershire |
| HAM. | Hampshire |
| HEF. | Herefordshire |
| HRT. | Hertfordshire |
| HUN. | Huntingdonshire |
| KEN. | Kent |
| LAN. | Lancashire |
| LEI. | Leicestershire |
| LIN. | Lincolnshire |
| LND. | London |
| MDX. | Middlesex |
| NFK. | Norfolk |
| NTH. | Northamptonshire |
| NBL. | Northumberland |
| NTT. | Nottinghamshire |
| OXF. | Oxfordshire |
| RUT. | Rutland |
| SAL. | Shropshire |
| SOM. | Somerset |
| STS. | Staffordshire |
| SFK. | Suffolk |
| SSX. | Sussex |
| WAR. | Warwickshire |
| WES. | Westmorland |
| WOR. | Worcestershire |
| YKS. | Yorkshire |
| Chapman County Codes for the Counties of Wales | |
|---|---|
| AGY. | Anglesey |
| BRE. | Breconshire |
| CAE. | Caernarvonshire |
| CGN. | Cardiganshire |
| CMN. | Carmarthenshire |
| DEN. | Denbighshire |
| FLN. | Flintshire |
| GLA. | Glamorgan |
| MER. | Merionethshire |
| MON. | Monmouthshire |
| MGY. | Montgomeryshire |
| PEM. | Pembrokeshire |
| RAD. | Radnorshire |
Short form
I have also included a list of how to write phrases in short form:
| Short form formats | |
| son of | s/o |
| daughter of | d/o |
| grand son of | grs/o |
| grand daughter of | grd/o |
| grandfather | grf. |
| grandmother | grmo. |
1841 Census Abbreviations
Many abbreviations were also used in the 1841 Census, and with occupations being added for the first time, the enumerator used occupation codes which included:
| 1841 Census Occupations Abbreviations | |
|---|---|
| Ag. Lab. | Agricultural Labourer |
| Ap. | Apprentice |
| Army | Members of the Army |
| BK. | Baker |
| Brick m. | Brickmaker |
| Builder Ap. | Builder Apprentice |
| Cabinet m | Cabinet Maker |
| Cl. | Clerk |
| CM. | Companion |
| Draper’s Ap. | Draper’s Apprentice |
| Dress m. | Dressmaker |
| FM. | Foreman |
| F.S. | Female Servant (does not mention their particular duties) |
| Grocer Sh. | Grocer Shopman |
| H.P. | Member of HM Armed Forces on half-pay |
| Ind. | Independent – living on their own means. This meant they did not have a profession and could include men, single women, or widows |
| J. | Journeyman (a tradesman, after having served his apprenticeship, was qualified to perform the job. He could go on to become a master, but would have to be accepted by the Guild) |
| Lab. | Labourer |
| M. | Manufacturer |
| m. | Maker etc. |
| Mason Ap. | Mason Apprentice |
| M.S. | Male Servant (does not mention their particular duties) |
| Navy | Members of the HM Naval Forces, which included marines |
| P. | Pensioners of the HM Armed Forces |
| P.O. | Porter (could be a door or gate keeper or someone carrying luggage) |
| Printer’s Ap. | Printer’s Apprentice |
| P.S. | Prisoner |
| Rail Lab. | Railway Labourer |
| Sh. | Shopman |
| shoe m. | Shoemaker |
| Shoe m. Ap. | Shoemaker Apprentice |
| SV. | Servant |
| Tailor Ap. | Tailor Apprentice |
| TE. | Teacher |
| TR. | Traveller (could be a gypsy or a travelling salesman) |
| Watch m. | Watchmaker |
I have also created a jpg chart:
Other abbreviations were also used in the 1841 Census, which included:
| 1841 Census Abbreviations | |
| Ditto (rather than typing a person’s surname many times, writing do. showed that all people in the household shared the same surname. You have to be careful though, because sometimes the last household member was entered as do. when his or her surname was not the same as that of the rest of the household) | do. |
| If more than one family lived in a house, the enumerator would mark the end of each family by using this symbol | / |
| When the enumerator got to the end of the house, he used this symbol | // |
I have found a great website that lists many other family tree abbreviations found in genealogy, not just in England and Wales, but also in other countries.
We can sometimes encounter some terms we are not aware of as we conduct family history research. This glossary of genealogy terms may help us to understand them.