Old Style Handwriting and Printers’ Ligatures, &c.
Old Time Abbreviations, &c.
Name Abbreviations
Abraham
=
Ab
m
Abr
m
Abra
m
Alexander
=
Alex:
r
Alex
r
Alex.
Andrew
=
And
w
And.
Anthony
=
Anth
y
Anth.
Archibald
=
Arch
d
Barbara
=
Barb
a
Bartholomew
=
Barth
o
Bart.
Benjamin
=
Benj
n
Benj.
Benja.
Ben:
Bernard
=
Bern
d
Burell
=
Bur
ll
Charles
=
Cha
s
Ch
s
Christian
=
Xian
Christina
=
Christ
a
Xrin
a
Christopher
=
Christ
o
Xph
r
Xpr
Chris.
Daniel
=
Dan
l
David
=
Dav
d
Dorothy
=
D
y
Do:
Edmond
=
Edm
d
Edward
=
Edw
d
Elizabeth
=
Eliza
th
Eliz
a
Eliza:
Eliz.
Emma, Emily
=
Em:
Francis
=
Fran.
Frederick
=
Fred
k
Fred..
George
=
G
o
:
Geo.
Henry
=
Hen.
Hezekiel
=
Hez
l
Heze.
Honor
=
Hon:
Humphrey
=
Hum
y
Hum:
Issac
=
Isa.
James
=
Ja
s
Jas
Ja:
Jeremiah
=
Jere
h
John
=
Jn
o
Jn.
Jo.
Jonathan
=
Jon
a
Jona:
Joseph
=
Jo
s
Jos:
Margaret
=
Marg
t
Marg.
Mary
=
M
y
Meredith
=
Mer
th
Michael
=
Mich
l
Mich.
Nathaniel
=
Nath
l
Nicholas
=
Nich
s
Nicho.
Obediah
=
Obed
h
Obed.
Patrick
=
Pat
k
Pat.
Phillip
=
Phil.
Richard
=
Rich
d
Rich.
Robert
=
Rob
t
Rob.
Samuel
=
Sam
l
Solomon
=
Sol
n
Sol.
Solo.
Saint
=
S
t
St.
Ste.
Sarah
=
Sar.
Stephen
=
Steph.
Ste:
Tamasin
=
Tam.
Timothy
=
Tim
y
Timo.
Theodore
=
Theo.
Thomasin
=
Tam.
Thomas
=
Tho
s
Tho:
Th:
Virginia
=
Virg
a
Washington
=
Wash.
William
=
W
m
Will
m
Will;
Zachariah
=
Zac
h
Terms
Doctor
=
Doct
r
Doctr.
Colonel
=
Col
o
Col
Esquire
=
Esq
r
Esq
re
Esq
Gentleman
=
Gen
t
Governor
=
Gov
r
Junior
=
Jun
r
Jun
Mister
=
M
r
Misters
=
Messrs.
Mistress
=
Mrs.
Reverend
=
Rev
d
Rev
Senior
=
Sen
r
Sen.
Sr.
Sir
=
S
r
Thomas Jefferson’s signature. Notice the “Th” followed by a colon (:).
This style of abbreviation could be applied to any name.
Tho
s
Maury and Rob
t
Lowery
witness an 1801 deed in North Carolina.
© Fred Smoot 2002
All Rights Reserved
=
