Use Abbreviations and Nicknames in Newspaper Searches to Drastically Add Pertinent Results

In the “olden days,” newspaper publishers were quite frugal. They generally kept each issue to the same number of pages, whether they be 4, or 8, or other. Space was at a premium. In order to maximize the text on a page, they often used abbreviations to save space and thus save ink and paper.

Abbreviations

Below is a list of common abbreviations frequently used in old newspapers. Current newspapers do not employ these abbreviations as much as in older newspapers.

To demonstrate the power of searching with abbreviations, I searched for a common name, “William Smith,” and received 16,998 results. I then searched for “Wm Smith,” and the search returned 7,779 results. That is an increase of 46%, just by using the abbreviated name!

I highly encourage using the abbreviations above as part of your search repertoire. And there are many more abbreviations that were often used.

Here’s a longer list of name abbreviations that might be useful that is found in Genealogy In Time magazine’s First Name Abbreviations.

Nicknames

Another useful technique is the use of nicknames as part of your search. Just for fun, let’s use “Abraham Lincoln” as our base search, and then let’s try “Abe Lincoln” as well. “Abraham Lincoln” returns 52,769 results, and “Abe Lincoln” returns 4,532 results. Not as much of a surprise as using abbreviations, but still, there is a 9% increase in results.

There is something more important in understanding the use of nicknames in your search criteria. Whereas abbreviations were likely placed in the newspaper as a space saver by the publisher or typesetter, nicknames may have been the only way to find specific individuals in the newspaper. That is because many people were only known by their nickname rather than their complete given name. 

Here is a list of frequently used nicknames for common names of old:

For a much longer list of old nicknames, check out FamilySearch’s Traditional Nicknames.

So, there you have it, a really easy way to find more people in old newspapers. I absolutely guarantee that you will obtain drastically more pertinent results using abbreviations and nicknames in your search criteria.

About the Author

Kenneth R. Marks is a passionate genealogist, author, and one of the leading voices in online newspaper research for family history. What began as casual curiosity in 2002 quickly grew into a lifelong pursuit of uncovering not just names and dates, but the full life stories of his ancestors. That passion inspired him to found The Ancestor Hunt in 2008, which has since grown into a comprehensive resource trusted by more than 100,000 family historians worldwide. Before turning his attention to genealogy, Kenneth spent 35 years in Information Technology, including executive roles with Boeing, Pearson, and NASA, a background that gives his research methodology a uniquely analytical edge. Today, The Ancestor Hunt offers an extensive library of free online genealogy collections, research guides, the renowned Newspaper Research Academy, and four published books. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned researcher, his practical, hard-won expertise is sure to help you find the ancestors you've been looking for.