[Home] [Military] [Pensions] [Glossaries] [Collections] [Census] [Naturalizations]
    Genealogy Quest

 

military

pensions

glossaries

collections

census

naturalizations

   

Genealogy researchers encounter many abbreviations both in modern compilations and in original records, this list aims to assist the researcher in deciphering those abbreviated terms.

AAONMS - Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
AASR - Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (of Freemasons)
AASRFM - Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry
AD - anno domini (Latin), in the year of the Lord
AEOS - Ancient Egyptian Order of Sciots (Masons)
AF - Ancestral File, database maintained by the LDS FHL
AF&AM - Ancient, Free, & Accepted Masons
AFAM - Ancient Free and Accepted Mason
AG - Accredited Genealogist (FHL credential)
AGBU - Armenian General Benevolent Union
AHOJB - Ancient and Honorable Order of the Jersey Blues
AISB - Ancient Illuminated Seers of Bavaria
altm - at liberty to marry (Quaker)
AMORC - Ancient Mystic Order Rosae Crucis
Am. Rev. - American Revolution, American War for Independence
AMVETS - American Veterans
AMOS - Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans (Odd Fellows)
AOB - Air Order of Battle
AODC - Ancient Order of Degree Coopermen
AOD - Ancient Order of Druids
AOF - Ancient Order of Foresters
AOH - Ancient Order of Hibernians
AOUW - Ancient Order of United Workmen
APCWS - Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites
apd - attending places of diversion; appointed; appealed (Quaker)
APG - Association of Professional Genealogists
apt - appointed
AQM - Assistant Quartermaster (US Civil War)
AQRS - Assistant Quartermaster Remount Service (US Civil War)
ARC - American Red Cross
ARSS - Antiquariorum Regiae Societatis Socius (Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries)
ASFD - American Society of Freedmen's Descendants
ASG - American Society of Genealogists
ASN - Army Serial Number
assn - association
att - attached to; attended (Quaker)
AWOL - Absent Without Leave (military)


b. - born
B - black, Negro
bapt. - baptized
BAR - Brigade of the American Revolution
BARE - Benefit Association of Railway Employees
BC - (of a date) before Christ
BCG - Board for Certification of Genealogists
BCR - Battle Casualty Report
bef. - before
BG - burial grounds
b-i-l - brother in law
BK - Brother's Keeper (software)
BNL - Brotherhood of the New Life
BPOE - Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
bro. - brother
bur. - buried


c, ca. - circa, about
CAILS - Certified American Indian Lineage Specialist (BCG credential)
CALS - Certified American Lineage Specialist (BCG credential)
cem. - cemetery
cert. - certificate
cd - contrary to the Discipline (Quaker)
ch - child, children; church
CDA - Catholic Daughters of America
chm - condemned his/her misconduct (Quaker)
chr - charter
CG - Certified Genealogist (BCG credential)
CGI - Certified Genealogical Instructor (BCG credential)
CGL - Certified Genealogical Lecturer (BCG credential)
CMU - Concrete Masonry Unit
c/o - child of
co - chosen overseer (Quaker)
Co. - county or company
col. - colored (Negro, mulatto, fpc)
Col. - Colonel (military rank)
com/comp - complained (Quaker)
comm - committee
con - condemned (Quaker)
CGRS - Certified Genealogical Record Searcher (BCG credential)
chlw - Cotton Loom Hand Worker
CSA - Confederate States of America
ct - certificate
CVA - Confederate Veterans of America
CWSS - Civil War Soldiers and Sailors


d. - died
DAC - Daughters of American Colonists
DAR - Daughters of the American Revolution
dau. - daughter
DAV - Disabled American Veterans
DBE - Daughters of the British Empire
DCLI - Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
dec. - deceased, dead
dec'd - deceased, dead
DED - Declared Dead (military)
desc. - descendant
d-i-l - daughter in law
dis. - disowned, disowned for (Quaker)
div. - divorce
DLI - Durham Light Infantry
DMWVI - Descendants of Mexican War Veterans
d/o - daughter of
do. - ditto, the same as the previous entry
DOB - Date of birth
DOD - Date of death
DOK - Daughters Of the King
DOW - Died of Wounds (military)
dp - dropped plain dress (Quaker)
dr - drinking to excess (Quaker)
drpd - dropped (Quaker)
DRT - Daughters of the Republic of Texas
d.s.p. - decessit sine prole (Latin), died without issue, childless
dt - daughter daughters
dtd - dated
DUP - Daughters of Utah Pioneers
DVA - Department of Veterans Affairs
d.v.p. - decessit vitae patre (Latin), died in father's lifetime


EM - Enlisted member (military)
ENHA - East Anglia National Heritage Area
end - endorsed (Quaker)
ETO - European Theater of Operations (military)
EUS - Evacuated to the U.S. (military)


F - female
F&AM - Free and Accepted Masons
FAAO - Fellow of the American Academy of Osteopathy
FACC - Fellow of the American College of Cardiology
FACCE - Fellow, American College of Childbirth Educators
FACD - Fellow of the American College of Dentists
FACE - Fellow, American College of Endocrinology
FACEP - Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians
FACFAS - Fellowship of American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
FACP - Fellow of the American College of Physicians
FACS - Fellow American College of Surgeons
FAM - Free and Accepted Masons
fam. - family
FAS - Fellow of the Antiquarian Society
FASG - Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists
FBG - Friends burial ground
FGS - Family Group Sheet
FHC - Family History Center, branch of the FHL
FHL - Family History Library, genealogy library in Salt Lake City, Utah, maintained by LDS church
FIGRS - Fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society
f-i-l - father in law
fmc - free man of color
FNGS - Fellow of the National Genealogical Society
FNHC - Founders of the New Haven Colony
fo - folio
FoE - Fraternal Order of Eagles
FOP - Fraternal Order of Police (USA)
form - formerly
fpc - free person of color, neither Caucasian nor enslaved
fr - from
FRACP - Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
FRAM - Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music
FRCP - Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
FRCPE - Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
FRCSI - Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland
Frds - Friends (Quaker)
FSG - Fellow of the Society of Genealogists
FTM - Family Tree maker (software)
FTW - Family Tree Maker for Windows (software)
FUGA - Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association
fwc - free woman of color
fwf - free white female
fwm - free white male


GAR - Grand Army of the Republic
GAOTU - Great Architect of the Universe (Freemason Word)
gc - granted certificate (Quaker)
gct - granted certificate to (Quaker)
GCVO - Grand Cross of the (Royal) Victorian Order (knight)
GD - granddaughter
Gedcom - GEnealogical Data COMmunication, method of transferring genealogy files from one program to another
gl - granted letter
glt - granted letter to
govt. - government
gr dau. - granddaughter
gr s. - grandson
Gr.Yd. - grave yard
GS - grandson
GSSR - General Society, Sons of the Revolution


h. - husband
h/o - husband of
HLI - Highland Light Infantry, Herefordshire Light Infantry
HOSJG - Hospitaller Order of St. John of God
hus. - husband


ibid. - ibidem (Latin), in the same place
IIGS - International Internet Genealogical Society
inf. - infant
int. - intentions, public notice of an upcoming marriage
IGI - International Genealogical Index, created and maintained by the LDS FHL
inst. - instant (Latin), of the current month
IOF - Independent Order of Foresters
IOGT - Independent Order of Good Templars
IOJD - International Order of Job's Daughters (freemason)
IOOF - Independent Order of Odd Fellows (fraternal organization)
IOR - Independent Order of Rechabites
IORG - International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (freemasonry)
IORM - Improved Order of Red Men
IOUAM - Improved Order of United American Mechanics


j. - joined (Quaker)
jas - joined another society (Quaker)
jd - jonge dochter/ young daughter (Dutch)
jm - jonge man / young man (Dutch)
JP - Justice of the Peace


KC - Knights of Columbus
KC - Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
KCSG -  Knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory
KG - Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter
KGE - Knights of the Golden Eagle
KIA - Killed in Action (military)
KIPC - Killed in Plane Crash (military)
KLH - Knight of the Legion of Honour; Knights and Ladies of Honor
KNB - Killed non-battle (military)
KOSB - The King's Own Scottish Borderers
KOTM - Knights of the Maccabees
KOYLI - The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
KP - Order of Knights of Pythias
KSLI - The King's Shropshire Light Infantry 
KT - Knight of the Order of the Thistle
KUV - Kranken Unterstuetzungs Verein


Part 2

Abbreviations ~ Diseases ~ Epidemics ~ Latin ~ Occupations ~ Terminology

For more help in analyzing and recording those original records, see:
Evidence!: Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian



 

 
     
  Recommend this page to a friend
Or

 

 

   

 
      © Genealogy Quest 1999-2009
Site Last Amended: 2-Nov-2009