Some people go by their given names. Some people go by nicknames. Some people go by their Initial.
When researching genealogy, at times it is hard to figure out who people really are, because of all the different changes in names. During the 1700’s, 1800’s especially, and 1900’s many men went by their initials.
Many times, your ancestors are named after their ancestors. However, sometimes ancestors are named after well-known people of their day.
Below are some examples of initial combinations:
A.L. – Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States of America.
A.J. – Andrew Jackson, Commanding General for the American side during the War of 1812, President of the United States of America.
A.J. – Andrew Johnson, President of the United States of America.
B.F. – Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father of the United States of America.
B.H. – Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States of America.
C.A. – Chester A. Arthur, President of the United State of America.
C.C. – Calvin Coolidge, President of the United State of America.
D.E. – Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United State of America.
E.E. – Edward Everett, Popular orator, who was the featured speaker, when Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address.
F.R. – Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America.
F.P. – Franklin Pierce, President of the United States of America.
G.C. – George Clinton, Second Vice President under Thomas Jefferson.
G.C. – Grover Cleveland, President of the United States of America.
G.F. – Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States of America.
G.W. – George Washington, President of the United States of America and Commanding General of the American side during the American Revolution.
H.H. – Herbert Hoover, president of the United States of America.
H.T. – Harry S. Truman, President of the United State of America.
J.A. – John Adams, Second President of the United State of America.
J.B. – James Buchanan, President of the United States of America.
J.G. – James A. Garfield, President of the United State of America.
J.K. – John F. Kennedy, President of the United States of America.
J.M. – James Madison, President of the United States.
J.M. – James Monroe, President of the United States.
J.P. – James K. Polk, President of the United States of America.
J.C. – Julius Caesar, Roman Emperor.
J.C. – John Calhoun, Political Leader in the South and the United States Congress.
J.C. – John Calvin, Church leader, during the Protestant Reformation.
J.J. – John Jay, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
J.K. – John Knox, Church Leader, founded the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, during the Protestant Reformation.
J.R. – James Riley, wrote a book about his life and death adventure in Africa. Abraham Lincoln said everyone should read this book in their lifetime. Many people named their sons after this man. They also, named their sons after two other men, talked about in the book. The two men were William Willshire and Citi. The book was published in 1817. The name of the book was, The Loss of the American Brig ‘Commerce’. Later it was published as “Sufferings in Africa.”
J.T. – John Tyler, The President of the United States of America.
J.W. – John Wesley, Church Leader of the Methodist Church.
L.J. – Lyndon B. Johnson, President of the United States of America.
M.F. – Millard Fillmore, President of the United States of America.
M.L. – Martin Luther, Church leader during the Protestant Reformation.
M.V. – Martin Van Buren, President of the United States.
R.H. – Rutherford B. Hayes, President of the United States of America.
R.L. or R.E. – Robert E. Lee, General who led the Confederate troops during the Civil War.
R.N. – Richard M. Nixon, President of the United States of America.
T.J. – Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States of America.
T.R. – Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America.
U.S. or U.G. – Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States of America and Union General in the Civil War.
W.H. – Warren G. Harding, President of the United States of America.
W.H. – William Henry Harrison, President of the United States of America.
W.M. – William McKinley, President of the United States of America.
W.T. or W.H. William Howard Taft, President of the United States of America.
W.W. – Woodrow Wilson, President of the United State of America.
Z.T. – Zachary Taylor, The President of the United States of America.