How do states get their abbreviations
Elijah King
Published May 09, 2026
If there are two words in the state’s name, take the first letter of each. (such as NY for New York) Take the first two letters of the state name to form the abbreviation (such as IN for Indiana) Take the first and last letter of the state name to form the abbreviation (such as GA for Georgia)
How are the state abbreviations determined?
If there are two words in the state’s name, take the first letter of each. (such as NY for New York) Take the first two letters of the state name to form the abbreviation (such as IN for Indiana) Take the first and last letter of the state name to form the abbreviation (such as GA for Georgia)
Where do abbreviations come from?
Abbreviations take many forms and can be found in ancient Greek inscriptions, in medieval manuscripts (e.g., “DN” for “Dominus Noster”), and in the Qurʾān. But it was the so-called information explosion of the 20th century that made abbreviation a common practice in communication.
What are state abbreviations?
ALABAMAALCALIFORNIACACOLORADOCOCONNECTICUTCTDELAWAREDEWhen did state abbreviations change to 2 letters?
To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. The Department provided an initial list of abbreviations in June 1963, but many had three or four letters, which was still too long. In October 1963, the Department settled on the current two-letter abbreviations.
Do you put a period after state abbreviations?
We do not use periods with state abbreviations: CT, NY, NJ. … The U.S. postal service, incidentally, does not insert a comma between the city and the abbreviated state name: Hartford CT, Portland OR — at least not in the addresses on envelopes.
Do state abbreviations have to be capitalized?
Because state names represent specific places, they are always capitalized.
What are the 2 letter state abbreviations?
STATE(TERRITORY)STATE(TERRITORY)AlaskaAKLAArizonaAZMEArkansasARMDAmerican SamoaASMAWhat are the state abbreviations in alphabetical order?
State NameUSPS AbbreviationTraditional AbbreviationAlabamaALAla.AlaskaAKAlaskaArizonaAZAriz.ArkansasARArk.
Who invented abbreviations?In English, the first known acronyms (as opposed to plain old initialisms) cropped up in the telegraphic code developed by Walter P. Phillips for the United Press Association in 1879.
Article first time published onWho invented short forms?
Invented by Sir Isaac Pitman, an English educator, the Pitman shorthand method was first published in 1837 as Stenographic Sound Hand. Pitman’s system classifies the sounds of a language into basic groups and makes use of simple abbreviations for rapidity.
Why is PP short for pages?
Why are page numbers abbreviated pp.? – Quora. The practice does derive from the Latin. When Latin writers used abbreviations, the plural was formed by doubling the final consonant of abbreviation of the item multiplied.
When was the zip code invented?
In 1963 the Post Office Department introduced and vigorously promoted the use of the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) Code. The code was originally intended to allow mail sorting methods to be automated but ended up creating unimagined socio-economic benefits as an organizing and enabling device.
What is the abbreviation for the 50 states?
US STATEPOSTAL ABBREVIATIONSTANDARD ABBREVIATIONAlaskaAKAlaskaArizonaAZAriz.ArkansasARArk.CaliforniaCACalif.
When did state abbreviations change to all caps?
The all-capital abbreviations you mentioned were announced in October 1963 in the United States, and were designed for mail to make it easier for machines used by the U.S. Post Office to scan mailing addresses using the new five-number ZIP codes; states were standardized as “MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, MT,” etc.
When did they standardize state abbreviations?
In 1963, the state postal codes were formalized into two character abbreviations. It was put into effect at first for big businesses, but was then gradually adopted by everyone as a standardized format.
What is the AP style abbreviations for states?
Alabama (Ala.)Maryland (Md.)North Dakota (N.D.)Arizona (Ariz.)Massachusetts (Mass.)Oklahoma (Okla.)Arkansas (Ark.)Michigan (Mich.)Oregon (Ore.)California (Calif.)Minnesota (Minn.)Pennsylvania (Pa.)Colorado (Colo.)Mississippi (Miss.)Rhode Island (R.I.)
Does Blvd need a period?
Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. … Do not use periods in quadrant abbreviations—NW, SE: 2333 E.
Is MS with a period or not?
Ms. is not an abbreviation, either, but we do use a period after it – to keep it consistent with Mr. and Mrs. Use a period with titles after names.
Does Dr have a period?
British usage favours omitting the full stop in abbreviations which include the first and last letters of a single word, such as Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr and St; American usage prefers (A) Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr. and St., with full stops. Most other abbreviated titles, however, require a full stop, as shown above.
Should all alphabetical order be in abbreviations?
List of Abbreviations. Include the heading “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS” in all capital letters, and center it 1″ below the top of the page. Include one double-spaced line between the heading and the first entry. Arrange your abbreviations alphabetically.
What is my state code?
State NumberState AbbreviationState01ALAlabama02AZArizona03ARArkansas04CACalifornia
What is the abbreviation for alphabetical?
AcronymDefinitionALPHAAlphabeticalALPHAAssociation of Local Public Health AgenciesALPHAAllies Linked for the Prevention of HIV and AIDS (Boise, ID)ALPHAAntihydrogen Laser Physics Apparatus (experiment at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland)
What state has the letter B in it?
No states except Alabama and Nebraska have a B in their name, and California and Florida are the only state names that contain F. If X was your guess, you were also close—the rare letter makes an appearance in only New Mexico and Texas.
What is PA the abbreviation for?
PA is an abbreviation for `personal assistant‘.
What does DC stand for in address?
District of Columbia (US postal abbreviation)
Is WTF an acronym?
Score one for Internet slang. The acronym “WTF,” which stands for “What the [fudge],” no longer has to compete with the World Taekwondo Federation for meaning, although really, it never did. After having used the acronym for 44 years, the organization declared Friday it will now be known simply as World Taekwondo.
Is OMG an acronym?
Oh my god is an exclamation variously expressing disbelief, frustration, excitement, or anger. Its abbreviation, OMG, is widely used in digital communication.
Is NASA an acronym?
Short Description: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created by the National Aeronautics and Space Act in 1958.
What is the difference between acronyms and abbreviations?
Abbreviations and acronyms are shortened forms of words or phrases. An abbreviation is typically a shortened form of words used to represent the whole (such as Dr. or Prof.) while an acronym contains a set of initial letters from a phrase that usually form another word (such as radar or scuba).
Do acronyms have to be pronounceable?
They are commonly called acronyms, but there’s a more specific term that’s used by linguists and people who like being precise about these things: initialism. Acronyms like ‘scuba’ (“self-contained underwater breathing apparatus”) are pronounceable as words. Initialisms like ‘FBI’ are not.
