[APG Public List] Abbreviations of given names

[Barbara Vines Little, CG, FVGS]

The question is not whether examples can be found showing that Jo was 
used as an abbreviation for John (or Joseph), but how the person writing 
that particular document used it. Can you find other examples written by 
the person who wrote the document or failing that other documents from 
the area. Practices changed not only based on time periods but also 
based upon local practice at a given time.

Barbara Vines Little, CG, FVGS

PO Box 1273
Orange, VA 22960
bvlittle at earthlink.net
540-832-3473

CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for 
Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certified 
genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is registered 
in the US Patent & Trademark Office.


On 3/7/2011 5:15 PM, JFonkert at aol.com wrote:
> Dear List,
> I posted this question this morning on the APG-members list.  I've 
> received some helpful responses, including one that referenced an 
> interesting article at 
> http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wmeacham/abbrjo.htm 
> <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ewmeacham/abbrjo.htm>
> The article deals with 17th Century English sources; I am working in 
> an 1830s Kentucky estate record.  I am hoping someone can add more 
> information about given name abbreviations in Kentucky/Viriginia 
> records from this period.
>  Here is my original post:
> /I ordinarily expect to find the name "John" abbreviated as "Jno," but 
> I have seen lists of abbreviations that indicate "Jo" is an 
> abbreviation of "John" -- for example at: 
> //http://www.british-genealogy.com/parish-registers/first-names-a-abbreviations.html/
> //
> /I need a more scholarly opinion.  Can anyone point me to an 
> authoritative source on the matter?  Thanks./
> Jay Fonkert, CG
> http://fourgenerationsgenealogy.blogspot.com/
> Saint Paul, MN
>
> Director, Association of Professional Genealogists
> (professional profile at www.apgen.org) <http://www.apgen.org%29/>
> Member, Genealogical Speakers Guild
> (professional profile at http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/) 
> <http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/%29>_
> _Member, International Society of Family History Writers and Editors
>
> CG (Certified Genealogist) is a service mark of the Board for 
> Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified 
> associates after periodic competency evaluations.