Swedish Roots

Swedish Abbreviations

This is a guide to help you understand the most commonly used abbreviations that you fill find in the Swedish Church records. This section lists key abbreviations in Swedish and the English words with the same or similar meanings.
For example, in the first column you will find the Swedish abbreviations, in the second column you will find the Swedish word and in the third column the definition/translation.

Swedish Roots

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z Å Ä Ö

A
Abbreviation Term Definition
a anno (latin) year
a.a. ad acta (latin) to the record
abs absens (latin) absent
abs. absolvera (to) absolve
a.d. anno domini (latin) in the year of the Lord
adm. admitterad confirmed
afg. afgång decease, depart to, departure
afl. afliden (to) expire, die
afsk. afskedade discharged, resigned
a.n. ante nuptius (latin) illegitimate, birth before marriage
anm. anmärkning remark, annotation
arb. arbetare worker, laborer
arb.bet. arbetsbetyg work permit
arrend. arrendator tenant farmer, leaseholder
afskr. afskrift transcript

B
Abbreviation Term Definition
b. bonde farmer, peasant
backst. backstugesittare owner of a small cottage and a small piece of land
B.B. bär barnet carried the child at christening
beg., begr. begraven buried
bg., blg. bergslag region abounding in mines; mountain district
bl.a. bland annat among other things
bond. bonde farmer, peasant
farmer, peasant brukare user, employer; farmer, tenant

C
Abbreviation Term Definition
c:a, ca. cirka about, approximately
caut. cautionister witness
cop., copul. copulerad married
cr. crono pertaining to the crown (government), crown owned
cr.h. crono hem crown owned home

D
Abbreviation Term Definition
D. dotter daughter
d. den the
d.b. denna bok this book (current clerical survey)
d.h. dess hustru his wife
D.M danneman gentleman, farmer
Dmca.,Dnca. Dominica (latin) Sunday
D:o dito ditto
Dr. doktor doctor
dr. dotter daughter
dr.,drg dräng farmhand, bachelor
Drag. dragon light cavalryman, dragoon
dtr. dotter daughter
d.v.s. det vill säga that is, i.e.
d.y. den yngre the younger

E
Abbreviation Term Definition
eg. egare (ägare) owner
e.Kr. efter Kristi födelse A.D.
e.m. eftermiddag afternoon, P.M.
enk. enka widow
enkl. enkeman widower

F
Abbreviation Term Definition
f. fadder sponsor, godfather godmother, witness at christening
f. fader, dotter (filia), son (filius) father, daugther, son
fad. fader father
fadd. fadder sponsor, godfather, godmother, witness at christening
fam. familj family
fast. fastighet real estate
f.d. före detta formerly
f.Kr. före Kristi födelse B.C.
f.m. förmiddag morning, forenoon, A.M.
forts. fortsättning continuation
frånv. frånvarande absent
förs. parish, congregation
försv. försvarslös person without guardian or legal protection, vagrant
fört. förteckning list, catalog, index

G
Abbreviation Term Definition
g. gift married
gam. gamla old
G.B. gamla bok old book (previous clerical survey)
gd. gård farm, estate, yard, court; house
gdm. gudmoder godmother
ges. gesäll journeyman
gl. gammal old
g.m. gift med married to
grat. gratialist pensioner
grufarb. grufarbetare miner
grufveg. grufvegare mine owner

H
Abbreviation Term Definition
H. herr Mr., lord, squire, master
H., h. hustru wife
h.a. hujus anno (latin) same year
hd. härad civil district, county
h.eg. hemmansegare farm owner
H:r herr Mr., lord
hsm., husm. husman cottager, crofter, tenant
härst. härstädes here, at a given location

I
Abbreviation Term Definition
ib., ibid. ibidem (latin) the same place, the same as, same
id. idem (latin) the same
idm. idim (latin) same
i.l. in loco (latin) in this place
inh. inhyses lodger

J
Abbreviation Term Definition
jbr.,jordbr. jordbrukare farmer
jfr. jungfru Miss, maiden, virgin

K
Abbreviation Term Definition
k.f. kvinnsfaddrar female sponsors at christening
khde kyrkoherde parish minister, parson
K.Maj:t Kunglig Majestät the King
kr. kronor crown (Swedish currency)
Kongl.Maj:t Kunglig Majestät the King
Kungl.Maj:t Kunglig Majestät the King
kv. kvinna woman
kyrkov. kyrkovaktare church officer or caretaker

L
Abbreviation Term Definition
l., l:a lilla little
landsförslg landsförsamling rural parish of a city
lfs. landsförsamling rural parish of a city
lärl. lärling apprentice

M
Abbreviation Term Definition
m. man man, male, husband
m. mater (latin) mother
m.fl. med flera and several others
m.m. med mera and my others
mod., modr. moder mother
mort. mortua (latin) deceased
mtl. mantal assessed unit of land, taxation of farm
mån. månad month
mäst. mäster, mästare master expert, the boss

N
Abbreviation Term Definition
n. natus (latin) born
.n. nomine (latin) name
N:a, n. norra north
Nat. natur natural (in reference to having had smallpox)
nat. nata (latin) born
N.B. nya bok new book
nb nota bene (latin) note well
NN nomen nescio (latin) name not known
nom. nomine (latin) name
n:r nummer number
nup. nuptiae (latin) wedding

O
Abbreviation Term Definition
o. och and
.og. ogift unmarried
osv. och så vidare and so forth
oä. oäkta illegitimate child

P
Abbreviation Term Definition
p., pag. pagina (latin) page
p. pater (latin) father
p., pig. piga maid, spinster, an unmarried girl

Q
Abbreviation Term Definition
q. qvinna woman
Qvf qvinnfaddrar female sponsors at christening
Qv.mil. qvadratmil square mile

R
Abbreviation Term Definition
r., rytt. ryttare cavalryman, horseman
reg. regemente regiment
ren. renata (latin) christened, baptized
Rdr riksdaler “dollar” (old Swedish currency)

S
Abbreviation Term Definition
s. son son
s., sn socken parish
s. söndag Sunday
S, s, sö södra south, southern
sal. salig deceased, blessed
sep. sepultus (latin) buried
s.k. så kallad so called
skplg. skeppslag district along the coast
skräd. skräddare tailor
sn socken parish
sold. soldat soldier
spons. sponsorer witnesses
S:t sankt saint
St. stora large, big (name for the large part of a place)
stud. student student
susc. susceptrix (latin) godmother
sv:f svärfar father-in-law
sv:m svärmor mother-in-law
syst. syster sister

T
Abbreviation Term Definition
t. testes (latin) witnesses or sponsors at baptism
tax.. taxera (to) assess, tax
test. testes (latin) witnesses or sponsors at baptism
t.ex. till exempel for example
tg. tingslag judicial district, (assize) division
t.o.m. till och med including
torp., tp. torpare crofter, cottager, peasant
trol. trolofvad betrothed, engaged

U
Abbreviation Term Definition
u. under under; at; during, while; wonder, miracle
undt.. undantagsman previous farm owner receiving his livelihood/support from the person to whom the farm now belong (usually related, as in father and son)
ung. ungefär about, approximately

V
Abbreviation Term Definition
v., vacc. vaccinera (to) vaccinate
V:a, v:a, v västra west, western
välb. välboren honorable

Ä
Abbreviation Term Definition
ä. änka widow
äkt.. äktenskap marriage, wedlock, matrimony
änk. änka widow
änkl. änkling widower

Ö
Abbreviation Term Definition
Ö:a, ö östra east, eastern


Contact information
Stockholm office: Post Sveriges Släktforskarförbund,
Anderstorpsvägen 16, SE-171 54 Solna, Sweden
Visits: Anderstorpsvägen 16, Solna (Subway: Huvudsta - line 10)
Phone +46 8 440 75 50 Fax + 46 8695 08 24

Swedish Roots
is published by Sveriges Släktforskarförbund.
The Federation of Swedish Genealogical Societies