Latin Word List for Church Records
The Latin words, months and given names you'll need to read Catholic and early Protestant baptism, marriage and burial registers.
Catholic parish registers, and many early Protestant ones, were kept in Latin. Word endings change with grammar, so look for the root of the word. For help with the handwriting itself, see Reading Old Handwriting.
| Latin | English |
|---|---|
| annus, anno | year, in the year |
| mensis | month |
| dies, die | day, on the day |
| hodie / heri / eodem die | today / yesterday / on the same day |
| natus / nata | born (male / female) |
| baptizatus / baptizata, renatus | baptized |
| matrimonium, copulati, conjuncti | marriage, married (joined) |
| sponsus / sponsa | groom / bride |
| obiit, mortuus / mortua, defunctus / defuncta | died, dead, deceased |
| sepultus / sepulta | buried |
| annorum, aetatis | aged ("of years") |
| quondam | the late (deceased) |
| pater / mater / parentes | father / mother / parents |
| filius / filia | son / daughter |
| frater / soror | brother / sister |
| avus / avia | grandfather / grandmother |
| nepos / neptis | grandson / granddaughter, or nephew / niece |
| uxor / maritus / conjux | wife / husband / spouse |
| vidua / viduus, relicta | widow / widower, widow ("left behind") |
| patrinus / matrina, susceptores | godfather / godmother, godparents |
| testes | witnesses |
| legitimus / illegitimus, spurius | legitimate / illegitimate |
| infans, puer / puella | infant, boy / girl |
| parochia, ecclesia | parish, church |
| parochus, sacerdos | parish priest, priest |
| de, ex | of, from |
| Septembris (7ber), Octobris (8ber), Novembris (9ber), Decembris (10ber or Xber) | September, October, November, December. Careful: 7ber is September, not July. |
| Jacobus | James (or Jacob) |
| Joannes | John |
| Gulielmus | William |
| Carolus | Charles |
| Ludovicus | Louis or Lewis |
| Henricus | Henry |
| Petrus | Peter |
| Maria, Anna, Elisabetha, Catharina, Margareta | Mary, Anne, Elizabeth, Catherine, Margaret |