Many historical records utilise standard abbreviations of given names in order to save time and paper. This was possible 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. Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ...

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

Common Abbreviations for English Given Names

N.B. Those abbreviations without punctuation are contractions, ending with the last letter of the full name; abbreviations with punctuation do not include the end of the full name cf the abbreviations for Joshua and Josiah. Charles is a very common male first name. ... Edmund can refer to: Edmund I of England Edmund II of England St. ... Edward is a common English given name. ... Edward is a common English given name. ... Queen Elizabeth II, of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada etc. ... The name George has its origin in ancient Greek, meaning something like farmer, man from the country. ... Rulers King William I of England (William the Conqueror, William the Bastard) King William II of England King William III of England Emperor William I of Germany Emperor William II of Germany William I, Count of Holland (see also William of Holland) William II, Count of Holland William III, Count... Henry is a male given name. ... Henry is a male given name. ... John is a common name for males. ... James */dʒeɪmz/ is a popular name worldwide, and the most popular name for a male in the United States. ... James */dʒeɪmz/ is a popular name worldwide, and the most popular name for a male in the United States. ... James */dʒeɪmz/ is a popular name worldwide, and the most popular name for a male in the United States. ... John is a common name for males. ... Jonathan (יְהוֹנָתָן / יוֹנָתָן Whom the LORD gave, Standard Hebrew Yəhonatan, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhônāṯān) was a prince of the Kingdom of Israel, son of King Saul, and beloved of the subsequent King David (see Jonathan and David). ... Joseph is a given name originating from Hebrew, recorded in the Hebrew Bible, as יוֹסֵף, Standard Hebrew Yosef, and Tiberian Hebrew Yôsēp̄. ... Joshua or Yehoshúa (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ The LORD of/is help/court, Standard Hebrew Yəhošúaʿ, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhôšuªʿ) is a Biblical character, much of whose life is described in the Book of Joshua. ... Josiah or Yoshiyahu (יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ supported of the LORD, Standard Hebrew Yošiyyáhu, Tiberian Hebrew Yôšiyyāhû) was king of Judah, and son of Amon and Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. ... Look up Michael in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For information on the World War I German military Operation Michael, see Spring Offensive. ... Look up Michael in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For information on the World War I German military Operation Michael, see Spring Offensive. ... Mary is a popular name worldwide originally derived from the ancient Egyptian word Mery meaning beloved, and is the most popular name for a female in the United States. ... The name Nicholas is derived from the late Greek Nikolaos, a combination of the words for victory (Nike) and people (laos). ... The name Nicholas is derived from the late Greek Nikolaos, a combination of the words for victory (Nike) and people (laos). ... Richard is the name of several important figures in history. ... Richard is the name of several important figures in history. ... THOMAS is the name of the database of United States Congress legislative information, which started in 1995. ... Rulers King William I of England (William the Conqueror, William the Bastard) King William II of England King William III of England Emperor William I of Germany Emperor William II of Germany William I, Count of Holland (see also William of Holland) William II, Count of Holland William III, Count... Christopher is a name derived from the Greek words for Christ (Khristos) and to bear (pherein). ... Christopher is a name derived from the Greek words for Christ (Khristos) and to bear (pherein). ...

Related Articles and Lists

• Given name
• Latin forms of English given names
• List_of_short_name_forms