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