When you’re of Irish heritage, you will sometimes have to grapple with Latin terms in old parish records.
This includes baptism, marriage, and death registers. You may also find Latin inscriptions on headstones.
This list has over one hundred and twenty Latin terms that you may see in your genealogy research. You can scroll through the list or simply use the browser search feature (control-f) to find what you need.
We’ve occasionally added a category or type of record where you’re most likely to see the term. Of course, many terms will appear on any type of record or document.
Translation Of Latin Terms In Genealogy
| Latin | English | Type Of Record |
| a, ab | from | |
| ablutus | christening | Baptism |
| acatholicus | non-catholic | |
| ad | to | |
| aetas, aetatis | age | |
| afinitatus | related due to a previous marriage between the families | Marriage |
| alias | also known as (maiden name may follow) | Marriage |
| altera die | on the next day | |
| ambo | stranger, foreigner | |
| anno domini | in the year of our Lord | |
| anno incarnationis | in the year of the incarnation of the Lord | |
| ante, anti | before | |
| aut | or | |
| banni | marriage banns | Marriage |
| bannum | announcement of banns | Marriage |
| baptisatus , baptismi | christening | Baptism |
| Biduum | two days | |
| cognomen | name, surname | |
| commater | godmother | Baptism |
| Compater | godfather | Baptism |
| conjuncti | marriage | Marriage |
| conjus | husband | Marriage |
| conjux | wife | Marriage |
| consanguinati | related by blood | |
| consors | wife | Marriage |
| copulati, copulatio | marriage | Marriage |
| coram | in the presence of | |
| cras | tomorrow | |
| decessit, decessus, denatus | death | Death |
| Defunctus | dead | Death |
| denuntiatio, denuntiationis | announcement of banns | Marriage |
| denuntiationes | marriage banns | Marriage |
| die sequenti | on the following day | |
| die vero | this very day | |
| domicilum | domicile (residence) | |
| eam | her | |
| ei | them | |
| eis | to, by them | |
| ejustdem die | of the same day | |
| eo tempore | at this time | |
| eodem anno | in the same year | |
| eodem die | on the same day | |
| eodem mense | in the same month | |
| ex | from (place of origin) | |
| fecit | made by | |
| femina | wife | Marriage |
| feria | day | |
| filia | daughter | Baptism |
| filius | son | Baptism |
| genitores | parents | Baptism |
| genitus | born | Baptism |
| gradus | step, degree of relationship | |
| hac, haec, hoc | this | |
| hebdomada | week | |
| hic | here, now | |
| hic jacet | here lies (on a headstone) | Burial |
| hodie | today | |
| humantus, humantio | burial | Burial |
| ibi | Here | |
| ibidem | in the same place | |
| idem | the same | |
| ifans | son of | |
| in secundus grado | first cousins | |
| in tertius grado | second cousins | |
| instans, instantis | present, current, instant | |
| intronisati | marriage | Marriage |
| ipse | self | |
| item | also | |
| lautus | christening | Baptism |
| legitimum | legitimate | Baptism |
| levantes | godparent | Baptism |
| ligati | marriage | Marriage |
| long tempore | for a long time | |
| lustratio | christening | Baptism |
| mane | in the morning | |
| manu | signed by hand | |
| marita | wife | Marriage |
| mariti | marriage | Marriage |
| maritus | husband | Marriage |
| martimonium | marriage | Marriage |
| mater | mother | Baptism |
| matrina | godmother | Baptism |
| mors, mortis, mortuus | death | Death |
| mulier | wife | |
| natales, nati, natus | birth | Baptism |
| nocte | at night | |
| nomen | name, first name | |
| nox, noctis | night | |
| nunc temporis | of the present time | |
| nupti | marriage | Marriage |
| ob | for, because of | |
| obiit, obitus | death | Death |
| oriundus, ortus | birth | Baptism |
| parentes | parents | Baptism |
| parochia | parish | |
| pater | father | Baptism |
| patrini | godparent | Baptism |
| periculum | peril, danger | |
| peritus | death | Death |
| plutus | christening | Baptism |
| pro tempore | at the time | |
| proclamationes | marriage banns | Marriage |
| proles | child | |
| puer | child | |
| purgatus | christening | Baptism |
| relicta | widow | Death |
| relictus | widower | Death |
| renatus | christening | Baptism |
| requiescat in pace | rest in peace (RIP) | Burial |
| sepulti, sepulutus | burial | Burial |
| sepultus | buried | Burial |
| sola, solus | single | Marriage |
| sponsa | bride, wife | Marriage |
| sponsati | marriage | Marriage |
| sponsores | godparents | Baptism |
| sponsus | bridegroom, husband | Marriage |
| subscriptus | undersigned | |
| susceptores | godparent | Baptism |
| testis | witness | Marriage |
| tunc temporis | of former time | |
| ubi | where | |
| ultimus | last | |
| uxor | wife | |
| vespere | in the evening | |
| vidua | widow | Death |
| viduas | widower | Death |
Can’t Find What You Need? Do You Know More Terms?
We’d like to know if you can’t find a term you’ve seen on a document. We’d also like to know if you have a suggestion that can be added.
Please do send us a message with the missing term. We’re always interested in extending our list.