Many of our ancestors used abbreviations instead of writing their whole first names. Probably one of the most common examples of this is Wm which was used for the name William. This can cause a lot of problems when trying to trace them throughout their lives. Abbreviations have been known to be used on Birth, Baptism, Marriage, Census and Death records just to name a few.
I have included a list of abbreviations below. The list will be added to, and I would be more than happy to add any that you have come across. Please contact me if you would like one to be added.
| Forename | Abbreviation |
| Abigail | Abig. |
| Abraham | Abr. |
| Agnes | Agn. |
| Alexander | Alex. |
| Alfred, or Alphonse | Alf. |
| Ambrose | Amb. |
| Anne, or Anna | An. |
| Andrew | And. |
| Anthony | Ant. |
| Arthur | Art. |
| Augustus | Aug. |
| Barbara | Barb. |
| Bartholomew | Bart. |
| Benjamin | Benj. |
| Bridget | Brid. |
| Catherine | Cath. |
| Charles | Chas. |
| Christian | Chr. |
| Christian | Xtian |
| Christopher | Xpr / Xtopher |
| Clement | Clem. |
| Constance | Const. |
| Cornelius | Corn. |
| Daniel | Danl. |
| David | Dav. |
| Deborah | Deb. |
| Dennis | Den. |
| Douglas | Doug. |
| Dorothy | Dy |
| Edmund | Edm. |
| Edward | Edr |
| Edward | Edw. |
| Elizabeth | Eliz. |
| Eleanor | Elnr |
| Esther | Esth. |
| Ezekiel | Ezek. |
| Frederick | Fred. |
| Franco | Froo. |
| Francis | Fs |
| Gabriel | Gab. |
| George | Geo. |
| Geoffrey | Geof. |
| Godfrey | Godf. |
| Gregory | Greg. |
| William | Gul. |
| Hannah | Han. |
| Henry | Hen. / Hy. |
| Helen | Hel. |
| Herbert | Herb. |
| Isaac | Is. |
| Isabel | Isb. |
| James | Jab |
| James | Jac. |
| James | Jas |
| Jeremiah | Jer. |
| John | Jno / Ioh. |
| Jonathan | Jon. |
| Joseph | Jos. |
| Joshua | Josh. |
| Josiah | Josh |
| Judith | Jud. |
| Laurence | Lau. |
| Lawrence | Lawr. |
| Leonard | Leon. |
| Lydia | Lyd. |
| Margaret | Margt |
| Matthias | Math. |
| Matthew | Matt. |
| Maurice | Mau. |
| Michael | Mich. |
| Michael | Micls |
| Michael | Mix. |
| Millicent | Mill. |
| Mary | My |
| Nathaniel | Nath. |
| Nicholas | Nich. |
| Nicholas | Nics |
| Oliver | Ol. |
| Patrick | Pat. |
| Penelope | Pen. |
| Peter | Pet. |
| Philip | Phil. |
| Phineas | Phin. |
| Phyllis | Phyl. |
| Priscilla | Prisc. |
| Prudence | Pru. |
| Rachel | Rach. |
| Raymond | Ray. |
| Rebecca | Reb. |
| Reginald | Reg. |
| Richard | Ric. / Rich |
| Richard | Richd |
| Robert | Robt |
| Roger | Rog. |
| Samuel | Saml |
| Sarah | Sar. |
| Sylvester | Silv. |
| Simon | Sim. |
| Solomon | Sol. |
| Stephen | Ste. |
| Susan, or Susanna | Sus. |
| Susanna | Susna |
| Theodore | Theo. |
| Thomas | Thos. |
| Timothy | Tim. |
| Ursula | Urs. |
| Valentine | Val. |
| Vincent | Vinc. |
| Walter | Walt. |
| Winifred | Win. |
| William | Wm |
| Zachariah / Zachary | Zach. |
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