Abbreviations: Titles with personal names

On this page

• Common abbreviations for titles that precede names
• Common abbreviations for titles that follow names
• Title combinations to avoid
• Professional and official titles
• Particular cases
  • Dr., Rev. Dr.
  • St.
  • Rt. Hon., Hon., Rev.
• Additional information

Common abbreviations for titles that precede names

Use the following abbreviations for non-military titles preceding personal names:

• Dr. (Doctor)
• Hon. (Honorable)
• Mr.
• Mrs.
• Ms.
• Messrs. (plural of Mr.)
• Mmes. (plural of Mrs.)
• Msgr. (Monsignor)
• Prof. (Professor)
• Rev. (Reverend)
• Rt. Hon. (Right Honorable)
• St. (Saint)

For more detailed information about common courtesy titles, see the articles Courtesy titles and Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.

Common abbreviations for titles that follow names

Use the following abbreviations for non-military titles following personal names:

• Esq. (Esquire)
• Jr. (Junior)
• Sr. (Senior)

Note that a comma is necessary before the title Esq., but not before Jr. or Sr.

Title combinations to avoid

Don’t use Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr. or Esq. with any other abbreviated title or with an abbreviation denoting an academic degree or honour.

• Correct: Dr. Roberta Bondar or Roberta Bondar, MD
  Incorrect: Dr. Roberta Bondar, MD
• Correct: Mr. Paul Kelly or Paul Kelly, Esq.
  Incorrect: Mr. Paul Kelly, Esq.

Professional and official titles

Abbreviate professional and official titles only when they are used with both first and last names, or initials and a last name:

• Gen. Lewis MacKenzie, but General MacKenzie
• Dr. Theresa Tam, but Doctor Tam
• Prof. G. E. Hinton, but Professor Hinton

Note that there are spaces between each period and the following initial or name.

Note also that in formal contexts, the titles Mayor, Vice-President, Professor and Father are normally written in full when used with personal names.

Particular cases

Special guidelines apply to the abbreviations below.

Dr., Rev. Dr.

Don’t use the abbreviation Dr. or Rev. Dr. before the names of individuals who hold only honorary doctorates.

St.

Saint is written out for names of persons revered as holy:

• Saint Helen
• Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
• Saints Peter and Paul

However, this title may be abbreviated in informal contexts and in lists and tables. St. and SS. (plural) are the abbreviations used.

Rt. Hon., Hon., Rev.

Even when used to address someone in correspondence, Rt. Hon., Hon. and Rev. must be preceded by the:

• The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
• The Hon. Michelle O’Bonsawin, Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada
• The Rev. John Smith

For more information on the abbreviations Hon. and Rt. Hon., see the article Honourable, Right Honourable.

Additional information

• Courtesy titles
• Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.
• Honourable, Right Honourable