Months

In most cases you will be able to determine the names of the months in old German & Latin records, as most of the names will be familiar to English speakers, with some minor spelling variations.  You will also sometimes encounter specific abbreviations for the last four months of the year: '7ber' meaning September, '8ber' meaning October, '9ber' meaning November, and '10ber' meaning December.  Alternately, December is also sometimes abbreviated using the Roman Numeral as 'Xber.'  (I have never personally come across an instance of the first eight months of the year being abbreviated with similar numeric abbreviations, or of the use of a Roman Numeral in an abbreviation for any month other than December).

This list includes of many of the spelling variations & abbreviations for months that we have come across in our research:

January: 

Januar, Jannar, Janner, Jänner, Jaenner, Jeanner, Jäner, Jenner, January, Januarÿ, Januarius, Janearius, Jän, Jan

February:  

Februar, Febrüar, Februarius, Febrearius, Februarÿ, Feber, Febr, Feb

March:  

Marz, März, Martÿ, Martii, Martius, Martio, Märr, Maerz

April:  

April, Aprillis, Apprilis, Apprillis, Aprill, Aprillis, Apr

May:  

May, Maÿ, Mai, Maj, Majus, Majo, Maius, Maji

June:  

Juni, Junii, Junius, Junio, Juny, Junÿ

July:  

Juli, Julii, Julius, Julio, July, Julÿ

August:  

August, Augusti, Augustus, Augusto, Augst, Augu, Agst, Aug

September:  

September, Septembris, Septembri, Septemb, Septmbr, Septber, Septbr, Septb, Sept, 7ber, 7bris, 7br

October:  

October, Oktober, Octobris, Octobri, Oktobr, Octob, Oktob, Octbr, 8ber, 8bris, 8br, 

8ctrobris

November:  

November, Novembri, Novembr, Novemb, Novbr, Novb, Nove, Nov, Nvbr, Nbr, No, 9ber, 9bris, 9br

December:  

December, Dezember, Decembris, Decembri, Decemb, Dezemb, Decem, Dezbr, Decb, Dezb, Dec, Dez, 10ber, 10bris, Xber, Xbris, Xbr

Examples of each month written in the old script:

*Make sure to scroll all the way to the right of the chart to view all of the images.

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