There are currently 711 acronyms and abbreviations in this glossary.
a.
About, age, acre, ante, aunt
A.A.R.
Against All Risks
a.c.
Attested copy
a.k.a.
Also known as
a.l.s.
Autographed letter signed
a.o.
Account of
A.P.
Absolute Pardon
a.w.c.
Admon. (letters of administration) with will and codicil annexed
AAD
Aboriginal Affairs Department
AAGRA
Australasian Association of Genealogists & Record Agents
abbr.
Abbreviation
abd.
Abdicated
ABGR
Australian Biographical & Genealogical Record
Abp.
Archbishop
abr.
Abridged, abridgment
abs.
Absconded
abs. or abstr.
Abstract
Abt.
About or Circa; a guessed date, e.g., "Abt. 1850"
AC
Ante Christum; Ancestor Chart
ACC
Accession Number - Government and Private Archives
acc.
According to, account, accompanied
accu.
Accurate
ackd.
Acknowledged
actg.
Acting
AD
Anno Domin
ad .
Adopted
AdCl
Adopted child
AdD
Adopted daughter
adj.
Adjoining, adjutant, adjourned
adm.
Admission, admitted
admin.
Administration, administrator
admon or admin
Letters of administration
Admon.
Letters of administration
admr.
Administration
af. or afft.
Affidavit
AFFHO
Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations
Aft.
After. The date is known to be later than a specified date, e.g., "Aft. 1800".
Ag. Lab.
Agricultural Labourer
AGCI
Australian Genealogical Computer Index
AGRA
(England) Association of Genealogists & Record Agents
AIGS
Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies
AJCP
Australian Joint Copying Project
ald.
Alderman
alleg.
Allegiance
als.
Alias
AN
Archive Note
anc.
Ancestry, ancestor, ancient
annot.
Annotated
ano.
Another
anon.
Anonymous
ant.
Antiquary, antonym
antiq.
Antiquary, antiquities, antiquity, antiquarian
AO or SAO
(State) Archives Office
AP
Absolute Pardon
Ap .
Apprentice
Ap.
Apprentice
APG
Association of Professional Genealogists
app.
Apprentice, approximately, appendix, appointed
appd.
Approved
appr.
Appraisement
apprd.
Apprised, appeared
approx.
Approximately
apptd.
Appointed
appx.
Appendix
ar. co.
Artillery company
ARK
Archives Research Kit (State Records of NSW)
arr.
Arrived
AS
Assigned Servant
ascert.
Ascertained
asgd.
Assigned
asr.
Assessor
assn. or assoc.
Association
asso.
Associated, associate.
Asst
Assistant
At
Attendant
atty.
Attorney
AU / AUS
Australia
au.
gold
aud.
Auditor
AWM
Australian War Memorial
AWOL
Absent without leave
b & w
Bread and Water
b.
Born, bondsman, banns, book, birth, bachelor, brother
B.B.
Bail Bond
B.C.
Born in the Colony
b.d. or bdt.
Birth date
b.i.l. or Bl
Brother- in- law
b.o.t.p.
Both of this parish
B.T.
Bishop's transcripts
ba.
Bachelor, baptized
bach. or batch.
Bachelor
bap or bapt.
Baptized, baptism
bap. / bapt.
Baptised
BBoy
Bound boy
BC
Born in Colony
bcer
Birth certificate
bd.
Bound, buried
bec.
Because, became
bef.
Before. The date is known to be before the specified date, e.g. "Bef. 1840"
bet.
Between
BGirl
Bound girl
BI
Biographical Index
biog.
Biography
bish.
Bishop
bks.
Books, barracks
bl.
Bibliography
blk.
black
BMD
Births, Marriages, and Deaths, sometimes written BDM
bndsmn.
Bondsman
Bo
Boarder
bo or bot.
Bought, bottom
bp.
Baptized, birthplace
bpl.
Birthplace
bpt.
Baptized
Br.
British
br. or bro
Brother
bro-i-l
Brother-in-law
Bro.
Brown
bur. or bu
Buried
C .
Convict
C of A
Coat of Arms
C of F
Certificate of Freedom
c.
Cousin, circa, codicil
Circa. Approximately, e.g. "ca 1680" means "in about 1680"
C.F.
Came Free
C.P.
Conditional Pardon, Clearing Party
c.r.
Church report
c.s .
Copy signed
C.S.
Colonial Sentence
ca.
Circa
Cal.
Calculated. The date was calculated from a source. i.e., if you can only calculate a birth/marriage date based upon a census or the birth date based upon the death date, e.g. "Cal. 1756"
Cap or capt.
Captain, captured, captivity
casc.
Cascades [female factory]
catal.
Catalogue
cath.
Cathedral
CC
County Clerk, County Court, County Commissioner, Company Commander
cem.
Cemetery
cen. or cens.
Census
cent.
Century
cer. or cert.
Certificate
cf.
Confer
CG
Certified Genealogist
CH
Court House
ch.
Child, children, church, chief, chaplain
ch/o
Child of
Cha
Chamber maid
chan.
Chancery
chldn. or chn.
Children
Chr.
Christened
chr. or chris.
Christened
cir.
Circa
Circa. or c.
Approximately or about
civ.
Civil
Cl
Child
Cl.
Clerk
clk.
Clerk
CN
Cartographic Note
CNBL
Cannot Be Located
CO
Commanding Officer, Colonial Office
co.
County, company
cod.
Codicil
col.
Colony, colonel
Col. Sec.
Colonial Secretary
coll.
College, collections
com.
Commissioner, commander, commentary, committee, common, commoner, communicate, companion
comm.
Commissioners
comp.
Company
conf.
Confinement
confer.
Conferred
conject.
Conjecture
CONS
Consignment Number
cont.
Continued
contr.
Contract
convtd.
Convicted
corp.
Corporal
couns.
Counsellor
cous.
Cousin
coven.
Covenant
CP
Conditional Pardon
CRA
Church Records Archives
CRO
(Britain) County Record Office
crspd.
Correspond, correspondence
csn.
Cousin, cousins
CSO
Colonial Secretary's Office
ct.
Court, citation, county
cum cont.
With a sermon
CW
Church Warden
CWGC
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
d.
Died, death, daughter
d. & coh.
Daughter and coheiress
d. & h.
Daughter and heiress
d.s.
Document signed, died single
d.s.p.
[Latin] descessit sine prole, died without issue
d.s.p.m.
[Latin] descessit sine prole mascula, died without male issue
d.y.
Died young
d'd.
Deceased
d/o
Daughter of
da.
Daughter, day
dau-i-l
Daughter-in-law
dau. or daugr
Daughter
daus.
Daughters
DB
Domesday Book
dea or deac.
Deacon
dec. or dec'd
Deceased
decis.
Decision
degr.
Degree
dep.
Deputy, depot
dept.
Department
desc.
Descendant
devis.
Devised
DIA
Department of Indigenous Affairs
dil.
Daughter-in-law
dio.
Diocese
dis.
Discharge
discip.
Discipline
Disobce.
Disobedience
dist.
District
div.
Division, divided, divorced, divinity
Dk.
Dark
do.
Ditto
DOB
Date of Birth
doc or docum.
Document
DOD
Date of Death
DOM
Date of Marriage
dom.
Domestic
dom.
Dominus (-a). Lord or sir (lady or dame)
dpl.
Death place
dr.
Doctor, dram
ds.
Deaths, daughters
dsct.
Descendant
dt.
Date
dt's.
Delirium tremens
dto.
Ditto
dtr.
Daughter
dum. or d. um.
Died unmarried
E or EM or Eman
Emancipated
E.
East or eastern
E.D.
Enumeration district
easi.
Easily
ecux.
Executrix, a female executor
ed.
Edited, edition, editor
educ.
Education, educated
EKA
Earliest Known Ancestor
Emp
Employee
En
Engineer
Eng.
England
eno.
Enough
ens.
Ensign
ensu.
Ensuing
Est.
Estimated. When a date is estimated based upon family stories / traditions / standard genealogical estimations. Also: Estate, established
establ.
Establishment
estd.
Estimated
et. vir.
And husband
etc.
[Latin] etcetera, and so forth
exc.
Except, excellency, excepted, exchange
Exclusives
Free settlers—sometimes wealthy colonists
exec. or exor. or exr.
Executor
exox.
Executrix
exs.
Executors
exx.
Executrix
f.
Father, female, folio, feast, feet, farm, following
F.A.
Field Artillery
F.B.
Family Bible
f.e.
For example
F.S.
Free by Servitude. Female Servant
fa.
Father
FaH
Farm hand
fam.
Family, families.
Fars.
Farm servant
father-in-l
Father-in-law
FaW
Farm worker
ff.
Foster father
FFHC
(England) Federation of Family History Societies
FFHS
Federation of Family History Societies
FHC
Family History Centre/Center
FHL
Family History Library
FHS
Family History Society
Fi
Fireman
fidel.
Fidelity
fil.
Pop filius(-a) populi or filius (a) vulgi. Bastard son or daughter of a harlot
fil. / filius (-a)
Son (daughter)
fil. or f.inl or FL
Father-in-law
FM
Foster mother
foll.
Following, followed
FR
Family registry
freem.
Freeman, freemen
FS or FBS
Free by Servitude
ft.
Foot, fort
g.
Grand, great
G.B.
Great Britain
G.S.
Government or Assigned Servant
GA
Great aunt
gch. or gcl
Grandchildren
GD
Granddaughter
GD or Gaol Delivery
an authority conferred upon judges and others included in it for trying and delivering every prisoner in gaol when the Judges, upon their circuit, arrive at the place for holding court
gdn.
Guardian
GEDCOM
Genealogical Data Communications (industry standard file format used by genealogy software programs to transfer data).
GF
Grandfather
GGF
Great-grandfather
GGGF
Great-great-grandfather
GGGM
Great-great-grandmother
GGM
Great-grandmother
giv.
Given, giving
GM
Grandmother
godf.
Godfather
godm.
Godmother
GOONS
Guild of One Name Studies
gp.
Grandparents
gr.
Grand, great, grant, graduate
GRD
Genealogical Research Directory
GS
Government Servant—a convict. Grandson
GSNT
Genealogical Society of Northern Territory
GSQ
Genealogical Society of Queensland
GSV
Genealogical Society of Victoria
Gt. Br.
Great Britain
gt. gr
Great grand
GU
Great uncle
Gua
Guardian
h.
Husband, heir, heiress
H.P.
Members of HM armed forces on half- pay
HAGSOC
Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra
hd lab.
Hard labour
hdgrs.
Headquarters
HEIC
Honourable East India Company
her.
Heraldry
hers.
Herself
Hh
Hired hand
hims.
Himself
Hist.
History
Hk
Housekeeper
HM
Her or His Majesty, or hired man
HMS
Her (or His) Majesty's Service or Ship
HO
Home Office
hon.
Honourable
hon. dis.
Honourably discharged
honor.
Honorary
honora.
Honourably
HPB
Hyde Park Barracks
HRA
Historical Records of Australia
hund.
Hundred
hus.
Husband
I
Inmate
ibid.
[Latin] ibidem, same (reference)
IGI
International Genealogical Index
ign.
Ignorant
IHGS
Institute of Heraldic & Genealogical Studies
ill.
Illegitimate
illus.
Illustrated
imp.
Importation
impt.
Imprisonment
in com.
In comitatu. In the county (of)
inc.
Incorporated, incomplete
incl.
Included, inclusive
Ind.
Independent. People living on their own means
inf.
Infant, infantry, informed
info.
Information
inh.
Inherited
inhab.
Inhabitant
inq.
Inquiry
ins.
Insert
inst.
Instant. Present or current month. Institute, institution
int.
Intentions, interested, interred
inv. Or invt.
Inventory
ISBN
International Standard Book Number
J.
Journeyman
JCP
Joint Copying Project
JP
Justice of the Peace
Jr.
Junior
jud or judic.
Judicial, judicious
junr.
Junior
jur.
[Latin] jurat, certification that a document was written by the person who signed it
k.
Killed, king
kn.
Known
kno. wedding
Knobstick wedding. The wedding of a pregnant single woman to the putative father-to-be, under pressure from the parish vestry. Churchwardens attended to see that the ceremony was performed, the name is derived from their staves of office.
knt. or kt.
Knight
l.
License, law, or lodger
l.e.
Local elder in a church
l.p.
Local preacher
La, lab. or labr.
Labourer
Lat.
Latin
Lau
Launderer
lb.
Pound
LBC
Letter Book Copy
ld.
Land
ldr.
Leader
LDS
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
li. or liv.
Lived, living
lib.
Library
libre
Book
lic.
Per licentiam. By licence
lieut.
Lieutenant
liv. abt.
Lived about
ll.
Lines
LMA
London Metropolitan Archives
lnd.
Land
lt.
light
ltd.
Limited
M
Manufacturer
m.
Month, male, mother, married, marriage
m-in-l or ML
Mother-in-law
m.
Maker. as in 'Shoe m.'
m.bn.
Marriage banns
m.h.
Meeting house
m.i.
Monument inscription
M.L.
Medium length
m.o.
Mustered out
M.S.
Male Servant
M.W.
Medium width
m/1, m/2
Married first, married second, etc.
mag.
Magistrate
maj.
Major
mak.
Making
mat.
Maternal
MD
Medical doctor
md.
Married
mem.
Member, membership, memorials, memoir
ment.
Mentioned
messrs.
Plural of mister
MI
Monumental Inscription
mi.
Mile, miles.
MIA
Missing in Action
mil or milit.
Military
min.
Minister
miscondt.
Misconduct
MN
Manuscript Note
mo.
Mother, month
mors.
Death, corpse
mos.
Months
mov.
Moved
MPE
misattributed paternal event or misattributed parentage
Mr.
Mister
Mrs.
Missus, mistress
ms.
Manuscript
mss.
Manuscripts
mtg.
Meeting, mortgage
mvd.
Moved
N
North
n.
Nephew, name
n.d.
No date
N.E.
North-east
n.p.
No place
N.W.
North-west
n.x.n.
No Christian name
na.
Naturalised
NAA
National Archives of Australia
NAI
National Records of Ireland
nam.
Named
NAS
National Archives of Scotland
nat.
Natus. Birth, son, offspring
neph.
Nephew
nfi
No further information
nfk
Nothing further known
Ni
Niece
NLA
National Library of Australia
NLNZ
National Library New Zealand
NLS
National Library of Scotland
nm.
Name
nmed.
Named
not.
Noted
NPE
non-paternity event, also sometimes nonparental event
nr.
None recorded, not recorded, naturalised
NRAM
(New Zealand) National Register of Archives and Manuscripts
NRH
(Scotland) New Register House [centre for BDM certificates & census]
NS
New Style calendar
NTAS
Northern Territory Archives Service
Nu
Nurse
nunc.
Nuncupative
nupt.
Nupti fuerunt. Were married
NZSG
New Zealand Society of Genealogists
o.
Oath, officer
O.B.
Order book
o.c.
Only child
O.E.
Old England, Old English
o.p.
Out of print
O.S.
Orphan School
o.t.p.
Of this parish
OB
Old Bailey
ob.
Obit, died
obit.
Obituary
OCC
Occurrence Book
OED
Oxford English Dictionary
offor offic.
Official
oft.
Often
OM
Organised militia
ONS
(Britain) Office of National Statistics
OPR
(Scotland) Old Parish / Parochial Registers
ord.
Ordained, ordinance, order, ordinary
org.
Organisation
orig.
Origin, original
OS
Old Style calendar
P.
Pensioner in HM armed forces
p.
Page, per, populus, parentage, parents, pence, patient
p.a.
Power of attorney
P.B.
Prisoners’ Barracks
P.M.
Post Meridiem, afternoon, Postmortem, after death, Police Magistrate
P.O.
Post office
p.r.
Parish record
P.W.
Public Works
Pa
Partner
pam.
Pamphlet
par.
Parish, parent, parents
par.
Parochie. Of the parish of
pat.
Patent, patented, paternal
pchd.
Purchased
peo.
People
perh.
Perhaps
perpen’.
perpendicular
petitn. or petn.
Petition
petr.
Petitioner
ph.
Parish, physician
pion.
Pioneer
PJ
Port Jackson, Sydney
Plo’.
Plough
plt.
Plantiff
POA
Power of Attorney
POE
Port of Entry
pointd.
pointed
Por
Porter
pp.
Pages
PR
Parish Registers (church records, mainly baptisms, marriages & burials)
pr.
Proved, probated, prisoner
preced.
Preceding
PRO
Public Records Office
pro.
Probate, proved
prob.
Probable, probably
prop.
Property
propr.
Proprietor(s)
PROV
Public Record Office of Victoria
provis.
Provision
pt.
Point, port, petition, pint
ptf.
Plaintiff
Pu
Pupil
pub.
Public, published, publisher, publication
pvt.
Private
pymt.
Payment
q.
Quarto. Oversize book.
q.y.
Query
QFHS
Queensland Family History Society
QSA
Queensland State Archives
R.
Rector, rex, rejected, river, road
R.C.
Roman catholic
Rail. Lab.
Railway Labourer
rat.
Rated
rcdr.
Recorder
rcpt.
Receipt
re.
Regarding
rec.
Record
Redh.
Reddish
reg.
Register
rel.
Relative
reld.
Relieved
ren.
Renunciation
rep.
Report, representative, reprint, reprinted
repl.
Replaced, replacement
repud.
Repudiated
res.
Research, residence, resides
respectiv.
Respectively
ret.
Retired
RG
Registered Genealogist
rgstr.
Registrar
rinq.
Relinquished
RIP
[Latin] requiescat in pace, rest in peace
RM
Resident Magistrate
Rom.
Roman
RR
Railroad
rt.
right
s.
Son(s)/ soldier, survivor, spinster, successor, shilling
s. and h.
Son and heir
S.E.
Southeast
s.p.
[Latin] sine prole, without offspring
s.p.l.
[Latin] sine prole legitima, without legitimate offspring
s.p.m.
[Latin] sine prole mascula, without male offspring
s.v.
supplementary volume - more information usually in supplementary conduct registers
s'd
Said [found in legal documents]
s/o
Son of
Sa
Sailor
SAG
Society of Australian Genealogists
SAGHS
South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society
Sal
Saleslady
SASE
Self-addressed stamped envelope
Sb
Stepbrother
SCAN
Scottish Archives Network
scatt.
Scattering, scattered
Scl
Stepchild
SDO
Survey Department Official (Letter books)
SDSR
Survey Department Surveyors Received
SDUR
Survey Department Unofficial Received (Settlers)
Se
Servant
sec.
Second, secretary, section, sector, security
sep.
Sepuliebatur or sepultus(-a) erat. Was buried
serg.
Sergeant
serv.
Service, servant
sett.
Settlers, settler
sev.
Several
Sf
Stepfather
Sh.
Shopman
sh.
Share, ship
Si
Sister
sil or Sl
Son-in-law
sin.
[Latin] sine, without
sis.
Sister
SLNSW
State Library New South Wales
SLQ
State Library Queensland
SLSA
State Library South Australia
SLV
State Library Victoria
SLWA
State Library Western Australia
Sm
Stepmother
sn.
[Latin] sine, without
SNP
Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (pronounced 'snip', a DNA sequence variation)
soc.
Society, societies.
SoG
(England) Society of Genealogists
sol/solity.
Solitary
spell.
Spelling, spelled
spr.
Sponsor
sr.
Senior
srnms.
Surnames
SRNSW
State Records NSW
SRO
State Records Office
SROWA
State Records of Western Australia
SRSA
State Records of South Australia (State Archives)
Ss
Stepson
st.
Saint, street
sup.
Supply, superior
supt. or Su
Superintendent
surg.
Surgeon
sw.
Swear, sworn
syl.
Syllable
T of E, ToE
Ticket of Exemption
T.
Township
T.L., ToL
Ticket of Leave
t.p.
Title page
t.p.m.
Title page mutilated
t.p.w.
Title page wanting
TAHO
Tasmania Archives and Heritage Office
tak.
Taken
Ten
Tenant
terr.
Territory
Terr. Tent. Terre
Tenant the lord of a manor or freeholder in actual occupation of the land, as distinct from his superior lord
test.
Testament
TFHS
Tasmanian Family History Society
tho.
Though
thot.
Thought
thro.
Through
tn.
Town, township
TNA
(England) The National Archives
top.
Topographical
Tp.
Township
tr.
Troop, translated, translation
transcr.
Transcribed
transl.
Translation
treas.
Treasurer
twn.
Town
twp.
Township
ty.
Territory
U
Uncle
U.K.
United kingdom
unasgd.
Unassigned
unc.
Uncle
unit.
Uniting, united
unk.
Unknown
unm.
Unmarried
unorg.
Unorganised
URL
Unique Record Locator (website address)
UTP
Unlock the Past
v.a.
[Latin] vixit annos, (s)he lived (a certain number) years
V.L.
Vulgar Latin
VAFHO
Victorian Association of Family History Organisations
var.
Various, variation, variant
VDL
Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania)
Vi
Visitor
vid.
Viduus (-a). Widower (widow)
VIP
Very important person
Vis. or Visc.
Viscount, viscountess
vit.
Vital
viz.
[Latin] videlicet, namely
vols.
Volunteers, volumes
vs.
Versus
w.
Wife, will, west, widow
w.d.
Will dated
W.O.
War office, warrant officer
w.p.
Will probated, will proved
w/o
Wife of
Wa
Warden
WAGS
Western Australian Genealogical Society
wd.
Widow, ward
wf/o
Wife of
wh.
Who, which
wit.
Witness
witht.
without
wk(s).
Week(s)
Wkm
Workman
wnt.
Wants
Wt
Waiter
wtn.
Witness
ww.
Widow
ww/o
Widow of
wwr.
Widower
X
A mark made by a person instead of a signature, Christ, Christian
x ch.
Exchange
Xn.
Christian
Xnty.
Christianity
Xped.
Christened
Xr.
Christian
Xt.
Christ
Xtian.
Christian
Xty.
Christianity
y.
Year
yd.
Graveyard
yr.
Year, younger, your