Glossary of Genealogy Abbreviations

by Jacky Gamble | More from this Blogger

03 Jun 2010 05:07 AM

I sometimes look back at my previous posts for inspiration for new posts, or sometimes to see which topics may need a bit more elaboration. Today I want to create an extension from my genealogy glossary post from a few weeks ago. However, rather than providing you, my readers, with more genealogy terms, I want to help you understand the many genealogy abbreviations that are often used.

General Genealogy Abbreviations

abt. - about (sometimes also abbreviated as a. or ab.)

ad. - adopted (sometimes adCL for adopted child, adD for adopted daughter, or adS for adopted son are also used)

aft. - after

aka or a.k.a. - also known as

als - alias

anc. - ancestor or ancestry

anon. - anonymous

appx. - appendix

arr. - arrived

assn. or assoc. - association

au. - gold

b. - born

ba. - baptized (sometimes also abbreviated as bap. or bapt.)

bcer. - birth certificate

bet. - between

bp. - birthplace

bro - brother

bu. - buried

c. or ca. - circa (sometimes also abbreviated as cir.)

cem. - cemetery

cer. or cert. - certificate

CG - Certified Genealogist

ch. - child or children

ch/o - child of

chr. Or chris . - christened

co. - county or company

cous. - cousin

d. - died

da. Or dau. - daughter

dept. - department

dil. - daughter-in-law

dist. - district

d/o - daughter of

dpl. - death place

dsct. - descendent

E.D. - Enumeration District

est. - estate or established

f. or fa. - father

fam. - family

fil - father-in-law

g. - grand or great

GEDCOM - GEnealogical Data COMmunication

gf - grandfather

ggf - great-grandfather

gm - grandmother

ggm - great-grandmother

h. or hus.- husband

Ind. - Indians

Ind. T. or Ind. Ter.- Indian Territory

inf. - infant or infantry

info. - information

inh. - inherited

inq. - inquiry

kn. - known

la. or labr. - laborer

Lat. - Latin

lib. - library

lic. - license

liv. abt. - lived about

m. - married or marriage

mat. - maternal

min. - minister

mo. - mother or month

n.d. - no date

NP - Notary Public

obit - obituary

o.c. - only child

org. - organization

p. - parents

par. - parish or parents

pion. - pioneer

rel. - relative

RIP - rest in peace

RR - railroad

s. - son

SASE - self-addressed stamped envelope

sil - son-in-law

sis - sister

s/o - son of

soc. - society

transcr. - transcribed

twn. - town

twp. - township

ty. - territory

unk. - unknown

unm. - unmarried

vit. - vital

w. - wife

wd - widow

w/o - wife of

y. or yr. - year

Genealogy Organization Abbreviations

AL - American Legion

AOP - American Order of Pioneers

APG - Associaon of Professional Genealogists

APJI - Association for Protection of Jewish Immigrants

ASG - American Society of Genealogists

BLM - Bureau of Land Management

CAR - Children of the American Revolution

DAC - National Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists

DAR - Daughters of the American Revolution

DVF - Society of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge

FASG - Fellow American Society of Genealogists

FGS - Federation of Genealogical Societies

FHC - Family History Center

FHL - Family History Library

HAS - Huguenot Society of America

LC - Library of Congress

LDS - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

MM - Monthly Meeting of Society of Friends (Quakers)

NARA - National Archives and Records Administration

NARS - National Archives and Record Service

NEHGS - New England Historic Genealogical Society

NGS - National Genealogical Society

NSCDA - National Society of the Colonial Dames of America

NSDAR - National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution

SAR - Sons of the American Revolution

SUV - Sons of Union Veterans

VFW - Veterans of Foreign Wars

Military Abbreviations

BBG = Brevet Brigadier General

BGEN = Bridgadier General

BMG = Brevet Major General

CDR = Commander USN

COL = Colonel

CPL = Corporal

CPT = Captain

CSGT = Commissary Sergeant

GEN = General

LCDR = Lieutenant Commander USN

LGEN = Lieutenant General

LT = Lieutenant

1 LT = First Lieutenant (2 LT = 2nd Lieutenant, and so on)

Ens - Ensign USN

LTC = Lieutenant Colonel

MAJ = Major

MGEN = Major General

NCO = Non-commissioned Officer

OSGT = Ordinance Sergeant

PFC = Private First Class

PVT = Private

PVT 1CL = Private First Class

QM = Quartermaster

QMSGT = Quartermaster Sergeant

SGM = Sergeant Major

SGT = Sergeant

WO = Warrant Officer

Learn more about Jacky Gamble

Jacky Gamble writes for the Single-Parents and Genealogy blogs. She resides in a small town in Vermont with her two children, ages 3 and 9, an English Mastiff, and two cats.

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