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Postnominal Initials used in Society Publications

Sharp-eyed readers will note that many of the names listed on this web site and printed in our publications are followed by a group of letters. These are called “postnominal initials” or just “postnominals”. You've likely seen them used by professionals and academics, for example, MD or PhD are common, but they are far from the only examples. Postnominals are also used to show honors, membership in orders of chivalry, even military service. And of course for some honors granted by The Augustan Society.

Listed below are the postnominals which have appeared in our publications and web sites. Note please that inclusion on this list dos not mean that The Augustan Society presently recognizes these organizations—indeed, some we have publicly disavowed! For a list of honors presently recognized by the Society, click here.

You will find some common or expected postnominals are missing, likely because we have not yet seen them used in our publications or web sites. You will also find some rare postnominals that perhaps only one of our members is entitled to. Finally, the list also includes postnominals granted by The Augustan Society which are not widely recognized elsewhere, including some no longer used by the Society.

As this is a working and unofficial list, some definitions may be incorrect, and some listings may be inappropriate, incorrect, or obsolete, and it is far from complete. We encourage those with more accurate information to help us by submitting corrections and additions to the Webmaster.

The list is organized into groups in the sequence the postnominals are normally listed, with a few noted exceptions:

 
Decorations and Honors
MPH Military Order of the Purple Heart, United States

Membership in Orders of Chivalry, Dynastic and State Orders,
and Organizations of a Chivalric Character
CEG Knight Commander, Order of the Eagle of Georgia
CH
Companion, Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller*
ComNSC Commander, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Vicosa
CPS Companion, Order of the Pearl of Sulu
CTJ Chaplain, Soverign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem
DCPS Distinguished Companion, Order of the Pearl of Sulu
GCCK Knight Grand Cross, Most Honorable Order of Omukama
GCDO Grand Cross, Order of Danillo I
GCLJ Knight/Dame Grand Cross, Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem*
GCPS Grand Cordon, Order of the Pearl of Sulu
GCSE Grand Cross, Military Order of Saint James of the Sword
GOSE Grand Officer, Order of the Star of Ethiopia
GOTJ Grand Officer, Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem*
KC*HS
LC*HS
Knight/Lady Grand Officer, Order of the Holy Sepulchre
KCEG Knight Commander, Order of the Eagle of Georgia
KCHS
LCHS
Knight/Lady Commander, Order of the Holy Sepulchre
KCHSJ Knight Commander, Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem*
KCMA Knight Commander, Equestrian Order of Michael Archangel
KCN Knight, Constantinian Order; or
Knight Commander, Order of the Nation
KCStS Knight Commander, Order of St. Stanislas*
KdB Knight de Bryan*
KEG Knight, Order of the Eagle of Georgia
KGCHS
LGCHS
Knight/Lady Grand Cross, Order of the Holy Sepulchre
KHS Knight, Order of the Holy Sepulchre
KJ Knight, Patriarchal Order of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
KLJ
DLJ
Knight/Dame,Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem*
KM Knight of Grace, Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta
KMLJ Knight of Merit, Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem*
KMOb Knight of Obedience, Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta
KMS Knight of Merit, House of Savoy
KNS Knight of the North Star (now Knight of the Polar Star, Sweden)*
KSE Knight, Imperial Order of the Star of Honour of the Ethiopian Empire
KSMA Knight, Royal Brotherhood of St. Michael of the Wing (Real Irmandade de Sao Miguel de Ala)
KStJ Knight, Venerable Order of St. John
Kt Knight
KtB Knight Bachelor (Yugoslavia)*
KtB(Y) Hereditary Knight Bachelor (Yugoslavia)*
KTJ
DTJ
Knight/Dame, Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem*
MCinn Member, Society of the Cincinnati
MH Member, Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller*
MPS Member, Order of the Pearl of Sulu
MSE Member, Imperial Order of the Star of Ethiopia
MStJ Member, Venerable Order of St. John
MVO Member, Royal Victorian Order
OCS Officer, Order of the Pearl of Sulu
OEBKKJ Hereditary Knight, Royal Order of the Engabu
OLJ Officer, Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem*
OMLJ Officer of Merit, Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem*
OPS Officer, Order of the Pearl of Sulu
OSS Member, Order of St. Stanislas*
OStJ Officer, Venerable Order of St. John
PCS
Royal and Hashemite Order of the Companions of the Pearl
(formerly: Companion of the Pearl Collar, Order of the Pearl of Sulu)
RCPS Royal Companion, Order of the Pearl of Sulu
SChLJ Senior Chaplain, Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem*
SMA Knight and Professed Brother, Order of St. Michael of the Wing
SMOTJ Member, Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem

University Degrees
DC Doctor of Chiropractic
DD Doctor of Divinity
DDS Doctor of Dental Surgery
DMin Doctor of Ministry
DO Doctor of Osteopathy
DSc Doctor of Science
JD Doctor of Jurisprudence
MD Doctor of Medicine
PhD Doctor of Philosophy
ThD Doctor of Theology
AM Master of Arts
EdS Educational Specialist
MA Master of Arts
MBA Master of Business Administration
MDiv Master of Divinity
MEd Master of Education
MPH Master of Public Health
MS Master of Science
MSLS Master of Science, Library Science
STM Sacrae Theologiae Magister
BA Bachelor of Arts
BS Bachelor of Science
BSBA Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
BSEE Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering
BTh Bachelor of Theology
LLB Bachelor of Laws
STL Sacrae Theologiae Lector

Religious Orders
OSB Member, Order of St. Benedict

Professional Designations
CG Certified Genealogist
CPA Certified Public Accountant
CRM Certified Records Manager
Esq. Esquire (admitted to the Bar, US)
LCGI Licentiateship of the City & Guilds of London Institute

Membership and Fellowship in Learned Societies
AKB
Member, Association of Knights Bachelor*
FBCS
Fellow, British Computer Society (1956)
FRAI Fellow, Royal Anthropological Institue (1871)
FRAS Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society (1823)
FRSA Fellow, Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce (1754)
FSA Scot Fellow, Society of Antiquarians of Scotland (1780)
FSO Fellow, The Octavian Society (activities suspended)*

Augustan Society Honors
OAE Order of the Augustan Eagle
DEMA Dame Evelyn Metzler Award*
FAS Fellow of the Augustan Society
OAA Member, Hereditary Order of Armigerous Augustans (disbanded)*
MR Magister Rosae, Noble Company of the Rose
MRE Magister Rosae Emeritus, Noble Company of the Rose
LMR Lieutenant Magister Rosae, Noble Company of the Rose
KCR
DCR
Knight/Dame, Noble Company of the Rose
ECR Esquire, Noble Company of the Rose
MAS Member, The Augustan Society*
SDLKJ Member, Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem*
ODI Member, Order of Descendants of Ireland (now Society of Descendants of Ireland)*
ODS Member, Order of Descendants of Scotland (now Society of Descendants of Scotland)*
OC Member, Order of the Conqueror (now Society of Descendants of the Conquest)*
OCC Member, Order of the Conqueror's Companions (now Society of Descendants of the Conquest)*
RG Registered Genealogist
RH Registered Heraldist
AS Associate, The Augustan Society*

Membership in the Armed Forces
AUS Ret Army of the United States, Retired
RSAR Ret Royal South Australia Regiment, Retired
USA Ret United States Army, Retired
USAF Ret United States Air Force, Retired
USAR Ret United States Army Reserve, Retired
USN Ret United States Navy, Retired

* These postnominals are not presently recognized by the Society.


This page maintained by the Webmaster in consultation with the Chivalry Committee. Last modified 5 September 2021.