Chapman Codes

The Chapman Code is a system created by Dr Colin Chapman to identify the administrative divisions of the UK and Ireland. Over time, the system has evolved and similar systems are in use to identify countries, states, counties etc. and some systems have been given International Standards Organisation approval.

One of the clearest lists of the codes can be seen on an Australian website – A.I.G.S. Another list on Wikipedia includes both the “Historical” Counties and the “Ceremonial” UK Counties created in (or after) 1974.

The Chapman Codes are used to replace the full name of a county with a 3 letter abbreviation which, obviously, uses much less space and is easier to spell, remember and understand! For example, the County where I met my wife was called “Hereford and Worcester” but is referred to as “HWR”. That County has now been restored to its previous entities of “Herefordshire” (HEF) and “Worcestershire” (WOR).

Chapman Codes (UK)

Chapman codes are a set of 3-letter codes used in genealogy to identify the administrative divisions in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
CodeDescriptionCountryNotes
ABDAberdeenshireScotland Pre-74
AGYAngleseyWales Pre-74
ALDAlderneyChannel Islands
ANSAngusScotland Pre-74formerly Forfarshire
ANTCounty AntrimIreland
ARLArgyllshireScotland Pre-74
ARMCounty ArmaghIreland
AVNAvonEngland 74 on
AYRAyrshireScotland Pre-74
BANBanffshireScotland Pre-74
BDFBedfordshireEngland Pre-74
BEWBerwickshireScotland Pre-74
BKMBuckinghamshireEngland Pre-74
BORBordersScotland 74-96
BREBreconshireWales Pre-74
BRKBerkshireEngland Pre-74
BUTButeScotland Pre-74or Buteshire
CAECaernarfonshireWales Pre-74
CAICaithnessScotland Pre-74
CAMCambridgeshireEngland Pre-74
CARCounty CarlowIreland
CAVCounty CavanIreland
CENCentralScotland 74-96
CGNCardiganshireWales Pre-74
CHSCheshireEngland Pre-74
CLACounty ClareIreland
CLKClackmannanshireScotland Pre-74
CLVClevelandEngland 74 on
CMACumbriaEngland 74 on
CMNCarmarthenshireWales Pre-74
CONCornwallEngland Pre-74
CORCounty CorkIreland
CULCumberlandEngland Pre-74
CWDClwydWales 74-96
DBYDerbyshireEngland Pre-74
DENDenbighshireWales Pre-74
DEVDevonEngland Pre-74
DFDDyfedWales 74-96
DFSDumfriesshireScotland Pre-74
DGYDumfries and GallowayScotland 74-96
DNBDunbartonshireScotland Pre-74
DONCounty DonegalIreland
DORDorsetEngland Pre-74
DOWCounty DownIreland
DUBCounty DublinIreland
DURCounty DurhamEngland Pre-74
ELNEast LothianScotland Pre-74formerly Haddingtonshire
ERYEast Riding of YorkshireEngland Pre-74
ESSEssexEngland Pre-74
FERCounty FermanaghIreland
FIFFifeScotland Pre-74
FIFFifeScotland 74-96
FLNFlintshireWales Pre-74
GALCounty GalwayIreland
GLAGlamorganWales Pre-74
GLSGloucestershireEngland Pre-74
GMPGrampianScotland 74-96
GNTGwentWales 74-96
GSYGuernseyChannel Islands
GTMGreater ManchesterEngland 74 on
GWNGwyneddWales 74-96
HAMHampshireEngland Pre-74
HEFHerefordshireEngland Pre-74
HLDHighlandScotland 74-96
HRTHertfordshireEngland Pre-74
HUMHumbersideEngland 74 on
HUNHuntingdonshireEngland Pre-74
HWRHereford and WorcesterEngland 74 on
INVInverness-shireScotland Pre-74
IOWIsle of WightEngland Pre-74
JSYJerseyChannel Islands
KCDKincardineshireScotland Pre-74
KENKentEngland Pre-74
KERCounty KerryIreland
KIDCounty KildareIreland
KIKCounty KilkennyIreland
KKDKirkcudbrightshireScotland Pre-74
KRSKinross-shireScotland Pre-74
LANLancashireEngland Pre-74
LDYCounty LondonderryIrelandor County Derry
LEILeicestershireEngland Pre-74
LETCounty LeitrimIreland
LEXCounty LaoisIrelandformerly Leix or 'Queen's County'
LIMCounty LimerickIreland
LINLincolnshireEngland Pre-74
LKSLanarkshireScotland Pre-74
LNDLondonEngland Pre-74City of London
LOGCounty LongfordIreland
LOUCounty LouthIreland
LTNLothianScotland 74-96
MAYCounty MayoIreland
MDXMiddlesexEngland Pre-74
MEACounty MeathIreland
MERMerionethshireWales Pre-74
MGMMid GlamorganWales 74-96
MGYMontgomeryshireWales Pre-74
MLNMidlothianScotland Pre-74formerly Edinburghshire
MOGCounty MonaghanIreland
MONMonmouthshireWales Pre-74
MORMorayScotland Pre-74formerly Elginshire
MSYMerseysideEngland 74 on
NAINairnshireScotland Pre-74
NBLNorthumberlandEngland Pre-74
NFKNorfolkEngland Pre-74
NRYNorth Riding of YorkshireEngland Pre-74
NTHNorthamptonshireEngland Pre-74
NTTNottinghamshireEngland Pre-74
NYKNorth YorkshireEngland 74 on
OFFCounty OffalyIrelandformerly King's County
OKIOrkneyScotland Pre-74
OKIOrkney IslesScotland 74-96
OXFOxfordshireEngland Pre-74
PEEPeeblesshireScotland Pre-74
PEMPembrokeshireWales Pre-74
PERPerthshireScotland Pre-74
POWPowysWales 74-96
RADRadnorshireWales Pre-74
RFWRenfrewshireScotland Pre-74
ROCRoss and CromartyScotland Pre-74
ROSCounty RoscommonIreland
ROXRoxburghshireScotland Pre-74
RUTRutlandEngland Pre-74
SALShropshireEngland Pre-74
SELSelkirkshireScotland Pre-74
SFKSuffolkEngland Pre-74
SGMSouth GlamorganWales 74-96
SHIShetlandScotland Pre-74
SHIShetland IslesScotland 74-96
SLICounty SligoIreland
SOMSomersetEngland Pre-74
SRKSarkChannel Islands
SRYSurreyEngland Pre-74
SSXSussexEngland Pre-74
STDStrathclydeScotland 74-96
STIStirlingshireScotland Pre-74
STSStaffordshireEngland Pre-74
SUTSutherlandScotland Pre-74
SXEEast SussexEngland 74 on
SXWWest SussexEngland 74 on
SYKSouth YorkshireEngland 74 on
TAYTaysideScotland 74-96
TIPCounty TipperaryIreland
TWRTyne and WearEngland 74 on
TYRCounty TyroneIreland
WARWarwickshireEngland Pre-74
WATCounty WaterfordIreland
WEMCounty WestmeathIreland
WESWestmorlandEngland Pre-74
WEXCounty WexfordIreland
WGMWest GlamorganWales 74-96
WICCounty WicklowIreland
WIGWigtownshireScotland Pre-74
WILWiltshireEngland Pre-74
WISWestern IslesScotland 74-96
WLNWest LothianScotland Pre-74formerly Linlithgowshire
WMDWest MidlandsEngland 74 on
WORWorcestershireEngland Pre-74
WRYWest Riding of YorkshireEngland Pre-74
WYKWest YorkshireEngland 74 on
YKSYorkshireEngland Pre-74