Abbreviations and Definitions

Inevitably genealogy and family history has its own set of acronyms and terminology that can be very confusing if you haven’t come across them before. So here is a summary of the ones that may have been included here, if there are any others you think need explanation then let us know.

Term or AbbreviationDefinition
bBirth
bpBaptism
burBurial
Deviant SurnameA spelling or forename of a surname that is a clerical error made at the time the name was recorded or a later transcription error
DURCounty Durham, England
ENGEngland
mMarriage
nicknameinformal name
dDeath
ONSOne-Name Study
Prefixused in front of name & considered to be part of name
St.Saint as in Saint Margaret's Church. NOT an abbreviation of street which will always be written in full.
Suffixused after the name e.g. MD or Esquire
titleused in front of name but not considered as part of name
Variant SurnameA spelling or form of a surname that was used by the individuals themselves eg in a signature
YKSYorkshire, England

 

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