Our data tables sometimes have abbreviations included, and this page describes and explains their use and meaning.
Further down this page you will find a list of abbreviations used in the Death index 'Relative' field.

Religious Abbreviations.

These abbreviations are those that have been used through the years by SAGHS. Some religions may be in there more than once. They have been collated from Digger, BISA and all current databases.

 Link to Religious Abbreviations 

Birth, Death and Marriage 'Symbol' Field.

These abbreviations are used by indexers to qualify the data recorded, and may signify that additional information is available on the original certificate. Up to two symbols may be recorded for any record.

A - We have amended data during extraction to correct an error because we believe that a researcher will be misled by data on the certificate, eg date of death after a date of burial, age at death less than age at marriage, a deceased person is the informant, or an end of year clerical error. This is somewhat similar to symbol 'E' below.

B - Data from both the Registrar's certificate and the District copy were used to compile the entry because the Registrar's certificate was damaged or illegible in parts.

C - An official correction exists on the Registrar's certificate that may or may not be on the District copy.

D - We had difficulty extracting the needed information from the certificate and no other sources of information were available to resolve the problem. The index entry represents our 'best effort'.

E - An error exists that has not been corrected because we believe it will not impede the researcher. This is somewhat similar to 'A' above.

F - A possible family member was the informant but no relationship was stated, eg the informant has the same surname as the deceased.

G - Guessed age. The age on the registration is indeterminate and volunteers have entered a specific value. If a range was given we normally chose the lower value.

H - The person died in a hospital or other institution. Retirement homes, refuges and religious communities were considered institutions.

I - An indefinite date of the event. If a range was given, then the lower figure was used.

M - Identifies multiple births. Also used for a death registration where an infant was one of a multiple birth, even if the other child or children survived.

R - The date of the event is illegible or unavailable and the registration date has been substituted. This code may also be used if an incomplete date is not compatible with our website search process.

S - Supplementary information beyond that entered in this index, and considered valuable to the researcher, is available on the certificate, eg additional family names, more detail on the place of death, or the fact that the father of the child for whom the certificate was written, pre-deceased the child.

V - A variation in the spelling of names exists on the registration. The family signature was usually accepted as the more likely spelling.

W - The death occurred in a theatre of war or as a result of war injuries and the Registrar has officially recognised it as a war death. For a marriage registration, it may refer to marital status (widow/widower).

X - Where alternate names are recorded on certificates, we have recorded the alternate name or names. Researchers should look up the alternate name as it may lead to yet more alternate names or more information. Researchers following alternate names will circle back to the the starting point, whichever name you start with.

Abbreviations used in Death registration 'Relative' field

A:AF:AM:AS - Aunt, Adoptive father, Adoptive mother, Adoptive son

B:BL - Brother, Brother-in-law

C - Cousin

D:DL:DH:DW - Daughter, Daughter-in-law, Deceased husband, Deceased wife

F:FL:FF:FM:FS:FD - Father, Father-in-law, Foster father, Foster mother, Foster son, Foster daughter

GD:GF:GM:GS - Granddaughter, Grandfather, Grandmother, Grandson

H - Husband

M:ML - Mother, Mother-in-law

N:NC - Nephew, Neice

O - Other relationship not covered in this list

PR - Possible family relationship

S:SL - Son, Son-in-law
SB:SD:SF:SM:SS:ST - Stepbrother, Stepdaughter, Stepfather, Stepmother, Stepson, Stepsister

T:TL - Sister, Sister-in-law

U - Uncle

W - Wife

Marriage Symbols

D - Divorced

S - Single; Bachelor or Spinster

W -Widower or widowed

N - not recorded

FL - full age, over 21 years

MI - minor, under 21 years