Common Name Abbreviations found in Black Family History research

Often times, when looking through historical records for you African American ancestors and elders, you’ll find that their names are abbreviated.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of shorthand versions of names we've encountered over the years:

• Ada: Adelaide
• Ar: Arthur
• Bertie/Berty: Albert, Alberta, Bertha, Herbert, Robert, or Roberta
• Brid: Bridget
• Bx: Beatrice
• Car: Charles
• Chas: Charles
• Cilla/Silla: Priscilla, Drusilla
• Cis/Cissie/Cissy: Cecelia
• Danl: Daniel
• Ebenr: Ebenezer
• Edw: Edward
• El/Elis/Eliz/Elizth/Eliza: Elizabeth
• Eli: Elijah or Elisha
• Ell: Ellen
• Ella: Eleanor, Elinor, or Isabella
• Ellie: Alice
• Elnr: Eleanor
• Elsb: Elsbeth
• Elsie: Alice, Elisabeth, Elisa, or Elizabeth
• Eml: Emaline, Emeline
• Ez: Ezra or Ezekiel
• Gail: Abigail
• Geni: Genevie, Geneva
• Geo/Geo: George
• Gert/Gertie/Trudy: Gertrude
• Gottf: Gottfried
• Gottl: Gottlieb
• Guliel/Gul: William
• Gus: Augustus or Gustave
• Gussie/Gussy: Augusta, Gustavie
• Hank: Henry
• Hans: Johann or John (in German)
• Hattie: Harriett
• Ioh: John (I interchangeable with J)
• Isa/Isab/Isb ~ Isabel or Isabella
• Jas/Jas: James
• Jb: Jacob
• Jenny/Jennie: Jane, Jean, or Jennifer
• Jer/Jera/Jere/Jerma: Jeremiah
• Jos: Joseph, Josephine, Josiah
• Josh: Josiah
• Josie/Josy: Josephine
• Jro: Jerome
• Lawr/Laur/Laurie: Lawrence or Laurence
• Leo/Leon/Lend: Leonard
• Lk: Luke
• Liz: Elizabeth, Eliza, Virginia
• Ma: Maria
• Mab: Mabel
• Madge: Margaret
• Magd: Magdalena
• Mat/Matty/Mattie: Martha, Matilda, or Matthew
• May: Maria, Marie, or Mary
• Meta: Margaret
• Mgy: Margery, Margurite
• Ph/Phil: Phillip
• Polly: Mary, Pollyana
• Rb/Rob/Robt/Bobby: Robert
• Sal/Sallie/Sally: Sarah
• Thos/Tom: Thomas
• Wm/Will/Willie/Willy: William
• Winnie/Winny: Winifred
• Xper/Xr: Christopher