Appendix:Abbreviations for English given names

This List of abbreviations for names shows common abbreviations of English given names.

Many historical records utilise standard abbreviations of given names in order to save time and paper. This was possible in various European countries, and globally in English-speaking countries, due to the relatively small number of personal names in use until relatively recently. Although very rare now, knowledge of these abbreviations is essential for genealogists when consulting very old records that list many names, such as parish registers. These are also seen in some traditional company names; a rare contemporary example is JoS. A. Bank Clothiers (abbreviation of “Joseph”, capital ‘S’ is just for style).

One may distinguish between contractions (words missing the middle part), and abbreviations (narrowly speaking, words missing the end part). Conventions vary about punctuation: in British English, only abbreviations are terminated with a full stop, which is followed here, in American English, abbreviations and contractions are both followed by a period; see Abbreviation: periods and spaces. In detail, in the below:

  • Those abbreviations without punctuation are contractions, ending with the last letter of the full name, e.g. Josh / Josiah
  • Abbreviations with punctuation do not include the end of the full name, e.g. Josh. / Joshua

Some of these abbreviations do not look like their full name equivalent. This is because the abbreviation is often derived from the Latin equivalent of the name.

Common abbreviations for English given names

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Abig. Abigail
Abm Abraham
Abr. Abraham
Agn. Agnes
Alex. Alexander
Alex.r Alexander
Alf. Alfred, or Alphonse
Amb. Ambrose
An. Anne, or Anna
And. Andrew
Ant. Anthony
Art. Arthur
Aug. Augustus
Barb. Barbara
Bart. Bartholomew
Benj. Benjamin
Brid. Bridget
Cath. Catherine
Chas Charles
Chr. Christian
Clem. Clement
Const. Constance
Corn. Cornelius
Danl Daniel
Dav. David
Deb. Deborah
Den. Dennis
Doug. Douglas
Dy Dorothy
Edm. Edmund
Edr (US) Edward
Edw. Edward
Eliz. Elizabeth
Elnr Eleanor
Esth. Esther
Ezek. Ezekiel
Fred. Frederick
Fredk. Frederick
Froo. Franco
Fs Francis
Gab. Gabriel
Geo. George
Geof. Geoffrey
Godf. Godfrey
Greg. Gregory
Gul. William
Han. Hannah
Hen. Henry
Hel. Helen
Herb. Herbert
Hy Henry
Ioh. John
Is. Isaac
Isb. Isabel
Jab (US) James
Jac. James
Jas James
Jer. Jeremiah
Jno John
Jon. Jonathan
Jos. Joseph
Josh. Joshua
Josh Josiah
Jud. Judith
Lau. Laurence
Lawr. Lawrence
Leon. Leonard
Lyd. Lydia
Margt Margaret
Math. Matthias
Matt. Matthew
Mau. Maurice
Mich. Michael
Micls Michael
Mix. Michael
Mill. Millicent
My Mary
Nath. Nathaniel
Nich. Nicholas
Nics Nicholas
Ol. Oliver
Pat. Patrick
Pen. Penelope
Pet. Peter
Phil. Philip
Phin. Phineas
Phyl. Phyllis
Prisc. Priscilla
Pru. Prudence
Rach. Rachel
Ray. Raymond
Reb. Rebecca
Reg. Reginald
Ric. Richard
Richd (US) Richard
Robt Robert
Rog. Roger
Saml Samuel
Sar. Sarah
Silv. Sylvester
Sim. Simon
Sol. Solomon
Ste. Stephen
Sus. Susan, or Susanna
Susna Susanna
Theo. Theodore
Thos Thomas
Tim. Timothy
Urs. Ursula
Val. Valentine
Vinc. Vincent
Walt. Walter
Win. Winifred
Wm William
Xpr Christopher
Xtian (US) Christian
Xtopher (US) Christopher
Zach. Zachariah

See also

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