United States Census Abbreviations
The following are abbreviations or codes found on various United States censuses.
Abbreviations found in all Censuses:
Relationships and Occupations
| Abbreviation | Definition |
|---|---|
| A | Aunt |
| Al | Aunt-in-Law |
| Ad | Adopted |
| Ad.Cl | Adopted Child |
| Ad.D | Adopted Daughter |
| *Ad.F | Adopted Father |
| Ad.Gcl | Adopted Grandchild |
| Ad.M | Adoptive Mother |
| Ad.S | Adopted Son |
| Ap | Apprentice |
| Asst | Assistant |
| At | Attendant |
| B | Brother |
| Bl | Brother-in-Law |
| Bar | Bartender |
| Bo | Boarder |
| B.Boy | Bound Boy |
| B.Girl | Bound Girl |
| Bu | Butler |
| C | Cousin |
| Cil | Cousin-in-Law |
| Cap | Captain |
| Cha | Chamber Maid |
| Cl | Child |
| Coa | Coachman |
| Com | Companion |
| D | Daughter |
| Dl | Daughter-in-Law |
| Dla | Day Laborer |
| Dom | Domestic |
| Dw | Dish Washer |
| Emp | Employer |
| En | Engineer |
| F | Father |
| Abbreviation | Definition |
|---|---|
| Fl | Father-in-Law |
| Fa.H | Farm Hand |
| Fa.L | Farm Laborer |
| Fa.w | Farm Worker |
| Fi | Fireman |
| First C | First Cousin |
| Fo.B | Foster Brother |
| *Fo.D | Foster Daughter |
| Fo.F | Foster Father |
| Fo.M | Foster Mother |
| FoSi | Foster Sister |
| Fo.S | Foster Son |
| God.Cl | God Child |
| Go | Governess |
| Gcl | Grand Child |
| Gd | Grand Daughter |
| Gf | Grand Father |
| Gm | Grand Mother |
| Gml | Grand Mother-in-Law |
| Gs | Grand Son |
| Gsl | Grand Son-in-Law |
| Ggf | Great Grandfather |
| Gni | Grand/Great Niece |
| Gn | Grand/Great Nephew |
| Ga | Great Aunt |
| Gu | Great Uncle |
| Ggf | Great Grandfather |
| Gggf | Great Great Grandfather |
| Ggm | Great Grandmother |
| Gggm | Great Great Grandmother |
| Gua | Guardian |
| H.Si | Half Sister |
| H.Sil | Half Sister-in-Law |
| Hb | Half Brother |
| Abbreviation | Definition |
|---|---|
| H.bl | Half Brother-in-Law |
| He | Herder |
| H.Gi | Hired Girl |
| H.H | Hired Hand |
| Hig | Hireling |
| Hk | Houskeeper |
| H.maid | House maid |
| Hw | House Worker |
| I | Inmate |
| La | Laborer |
| Lau | Laundry |
| L | Lodger |
| Man | Manager |
| Mat | Matron |
| M | Mother |
| Ml | Mother-in-Law |
| N | Nephew |
| Nl | Nephew-in-Law |
| Ni | Niece |
| Nil | Niece-in-Law |
| Nu | Nurse |
| O | Officer |
| Pa | Partner(shared abode) |
| P | Patient |
| Ph | Physician |
| Por | Porter |
| Pri | Principal |
| Pr | Prisoner |
| Pr | Private |
| Pu | Pupil |
| R | Roomer |
| Sa | Sailor |
| Sal | Sales Lady |
| Abbreviation | Definition |
|---|---|
| Se | Servant |
| Se.Cl | Servant's Child |
| Si | Sister |
| Sil | Sister-in-Law |
| S | Son |
| Sl | Son-in-Law |
| Sb | Step Brother |
| Sbl | Step Brother-in-Law |
| Scl | Step Child |
| Sd | Step Daughter |
| Sdl | Step Daughter-in-Law |
| Sf | Step Father |
| Sfl | Step Father-in-Law |
| Sgd | Step Granddaughter |
| Sgs | Step Grandson |
| Sm | Step Mother |
| Sml | Step Mother-in-Law |
| Ssi | Step Sister |
| Ssil | Step Sister-in-Law |
| Ss | Step Son |
| Ssl | Step son-in-Law |
| Su | Superintendent |
| Ten | Tenant |
| U | Uncle |
| Ul | Uncle-in-Law |
| Vi | Visitor |
| W | Wife |
| Wai | Waitress |
| Wt | Waiter |
| Wa | Warden |
| Wkm | Workman |
*These abbreviations could not be found in the census abbreviation instructions and have been assumed.
Abbreviations for 1910 Census
Military Abbreviations Column 30
- UA.....Survivor of Union Army
- UN.....Survivor of Union Navy
- CA.....Survivor of Confederate Army
- CN.....Survivor of Confederate Navy
Race and Color
- W.......White
- B.......Black
- Mu.....Mulatto
- Ch....Chinese
- Jp.....Japanese
- In......Indian
- Ot.....All Others
Also found at
SearchforAncestors
Abbreviations for 1920 Census
Coal mining information
1920: A statistical study was done in 1923 on coal miners listed in the 1920 census. The codes used follow:
MH - coal miners who were also the heads of their households
BD - coal miners who were boarders in a household
BWF - coal miners who lived in their parent's household
USC - coal miners who were born in the United States
USW - coal miners who were born in the United States (don't know of any distinction between the w or the c)
Naturalization Information
NA: Naturalized citizen
AL: Alien citizen (not a U.S. citizen)
PA: Papers, meaning the alien had submitted their first papers or declaration of intent to a court of record to begin the process of naturalizing
NR: No record, usually found only on soundex cards can also mean Not Registered
UN: (Un)Naturalized or not Naturalized
References
1. Coal miners: As of 2004, information from Bill from Heritage Quest and Bethany Evans one of their professional census indexers.
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