Dutch term – J.M. and J.D.

Two abbreviations you may often find in older marriage records are J.M. and J.D.

“J.M.” stands for Jonge Man, literally: young man.
“J.D.” stands for Jonge Dochter, literally: young daughter.

They refer to the marital status of the person, indicating they are single and this is their first marriage. The word jong/young has no relation to their age.

Marriage record of Hugo Dirck Huijgen, J.M. and Jenneken Laureijs Denis Peeters, J.D.

Sometimes, you find J.G. [Jong gezel, approximately: young journeyman or companion] instead of J.M., but the meaning is the same: a single man.

In court records, you may sometimes find the letters J.D. behind a man’s name. In that case, it indicates the man had a law degree.

About Yvette Hoitink

Yvette Hoitink, CG®, QG™ is a professional genealogist in the Netherlands. She holds the Certified Genealogist credential from the Board for Certification of Genealogists and has a post-graduate diploma in Family and Local History from the University of Dundee. She has been doing genealogy for over 30 years and helps people from across the world find their ancestors in the Netherlands. Read about Yvette's professional genealogy services.

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