| ACAS | Assistant Chief of Air Staff | | KA | Knight of St Andrew, Barbados |
| ACDS | Assistant Chief of Defence Staff | | KB | Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath (up to 1815) |
| AD | Dame of Order of Australia | | KBE | Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire |
| AFNORTH | Allied Forces Northern Europe | | KBL | King's Birthday Honours List |
| AK | Knight of Order of Australia | | KCB | Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (from 1815) |
| AOA | Air Officer in charge of Administration | | KCIE | Knight Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire |
| AOC | Air Officer Commanding | | KCL | King's College London |
| AOCinC | Air Officer Commanding in Chief | | KCMG | Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George |
| APTC | Army Physical Training Corps | | KCN | Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda) |
| APUA | Antigua Public Utilities Authority | | KCNG | Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Grenada |
| ATS | Auxiliary Territorial Service | | KCSI | Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India |
| AUS | Assistant Under Secretary of State | | KCSL | Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia |
| b/d | By dispensation | | KCVO | Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order |
| BAOR | British Army of the Rhine | | KG | Knight Companion of the Most Ancient Order of the Garter |
| Bde | Brigade | | KGCN | Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda) |
| BEF | British Expeditionary Force | | KGN | Knight Grand Collar of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda) |
| BEP | Burke's Extinct Dormant and Abeyant Peerages | | KIA | Killed in action |
| Brig Gen | Brigadier General | | KN | Knight Grand Collar of the Most Distinguished Order of Grenada |
| Capt | Captain | | KNH | Knight of the Most Exalted Order of National Hero (Antigua and Barbuda) |
| CAS | Chief of Air Staff | | KNZM | Knight Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit |
| CDS | Chief of Defence Staff (used from 1959) | | KP | Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick |
| CENTO | Central Treaty Organisation | | KT | Knight Companion of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle |
| CGS | Chief of General Staff (used prior to 1909 and post 1964 | | Kt Bach | Knight Bachelor |
| CH | Member of the Order of Companions of Honour | | Kt Bann | Knight Banneret |
| CHL | Coronation Honours List | | L | Living (located in death date column) |
| CIGS | Chief of Imperial General Staff (used 1909-1964) | | LG | Lady Companion of the Most Ancient Order of the Garter |
| CinC | Commander in Chief | | LOCOG | The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012 |
| CJP | Colin J Parry | | LT | Lady Companion of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle |
| CNS | Chief of Naval Staff | | Lt Col | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Comd | Commander / Command | | Lt Gen | Lieutenant General |
| Comdt | Commandant | | Maj Gen | Major General |
| COMNAVSOUTH | Commander Allied Navies Southern Europe | | MISKB | Member of Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor |
| cr. | Created | | MIT | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (USA) |
| Ctee | Committee | | MOD | Ministry of Defence |
| DA | Dame of St Andrew, Barbados | | NAO | National Audit Office |
| DBE | Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire | | NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organisation |
| DCB | Dame Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath | | NPL | National Physical Laboratory |
| DCDS | Deputy Chief of Defence Staff | | NWFP | North West Frontier Provinces (India) |
| DCLG | Department of Communities and Local Government | | NYL | New Year's Honours List |
| DCMG | Dame Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George | | NZ | New Zealand |
| DCN | Dame Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda) | | OM | Order of Merit |
| DCNG | Dame Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Grenada | | ONS | Office of National Statistics |
| DCSL | Dame Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia | | ONZ | Order of New Zealand |
| DCVO | Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order | | Perm. Sec. | Permanent Secretary |
| DDCMS | Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport | | PLA | Port of London Authority |
| DGCN | Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda) | | PMO | Principal Medical Officer |
| DGMS | Director General Medical Services | | PNG | Papua New Guinea |
| DGN | Dame Grand Collar of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda) | | POW | Prisoner of War |
| DGNG | Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Grenada | | PPS | Parliamentary Private Secretary |
| dio | Died in office | | PUS | Permanent Under Secretary of State |
| Dir Gen | Director General | | QAIMNS | Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service |
| Div | Division | | QARANC | Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps |
| DN | Dame Grand Collar of the Most Distinguished Order of Grenada | | QARNNS | Queen Alexandra's Naval Nursing Service |
| DNB | Dictionary of National Biography | | QBL | Queen's Birthday Honours List |
| DNB (MP) | Dictionary of National Biography (Missing Persons) | | QMG | Quartermaster General |
| DNZM | Dame Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit | | RAAF | Royal Auxiliary Air Force / Royal Australian Air Force |
| DRA | Director Royal Artillery | | RAMC | Royal Army Medical Corps |
| DSACEUR | Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe | | RCDS | Royal College of Defence Studies |
| DSACLANT | Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic | | Rep | Representative |
| DUS | Deputy Under Secretary of State | | RM | Royal Marines |
| EU | European Union | | RNR | Royal Naval Reserve |
| FCO | Foreign and Commonwealth Office | | SACEUR | Supreme Allied Commander Europe |
| FOIC | Flag Officer in Command | | SEATO | South East Asia Treaty Organisation |
| FRS | Fellow of the Royal Society | | SHAEF | Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force |
| GBE | Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire | | SJL | Silver Jubilee List (1935 and 1977 only but combined with Birthday Lists) |
| GCB | Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (from 1815) | | Sqn | Squadron |
| GCIE | Knight Grand Cross of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire | | succ. | Succeeded (date) |
| GCMG | Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George | | TA | Territorial Army |
| GCNG | Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Grenada | | Tps | Troops |
| GCSI | Knight Grand Cross of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India | | UCL | University College London |
| GCSL | Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Lucia (n.b. not a Knight or Dame) | | UK Mil Rep | United Kingdom Military Representative |
| GCVO | Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order | | UKLF | United Kingdom Land Forces |
| GEC | G E Cockayne | | UMIST | University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology |
| GNZM | Knight/Dame Grand Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit | | UNRRA | United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration |
| GOC | General Officer Commanding | | VC | Victoria Cross |
| GOCinC | General Officer Commanding in Chief | | VCAS | Vice Chief of Air Staff |
| Gov Gen | Governor General | | VCDS | Vice Chief of Defence Staff |
| HofP | History of Parliament | | VCGS | Vice Chief of General Staff |
| ICL | Imperial College London | | VCIGS | Vice Chief Imperial General Staff |
| IMS | Indian Medical Service | | Visn | Visitation |
| inst. | Installed (in connection with award of KG) | | WAAF | Women's Auxiliary Air Force |
| IOW | Isle of Wight | | WRAC | Women's Royal Army Corps |
| IPM | Inquisitions Post Mortem | | WRAF | Women's Royal Air Force |
| ISAF | International Security Assistance Force (Afghanistan) | | WRNS | Women's Royal Naval Service |
| IWGC | Imperial War Graves Commission | | WWI/WW1 | World War One (1914-18) |
| ju. ma. | jusque matris (by the right of the mother) | | WWII/WW2 | World War Two (1939-45) |
| ju. ux. | jusque uxoris (by the right of the wife) | | | |