List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom)

Post-nominal letters are used in the United Kingdom after a person's name in order to indicate their positions, qualifications, memberships, or other status. There are various established orders for giving these, e.g. from the Ministry of Justice, Debrett's, and A & C Black's Titles and Forms of Address, which are generally in close agreement.

Baronet or Esquire

Rank Post-nominal Baronet Bt or Bart Esquire EsqEsquire (or Esq as a suffix) is now commonly used in the UK in place of the prefix Mr in formal address; according to the Dictionary of Genealogy it has no real meaning, while according to Buckingham Palace it is an entitlement of all British-born men.

Orders and decorations Office Post-nominalRecipient of the Victoria Cross VCRecipient of the George Cross GCKnight Companion of the Order of the Garter KGLady Companion of the Order of the Garter LGKnight of the Order of the Thistle KTLady of the Order of the Thistle LTKnight of the Order of Saint Patrick KPThe Order of Saint Patrick is now dormant.Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath GCBMember of the Order of Merit OMKnight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India GCSIThe Order of the Star of India is now dormant.Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George GCMGKnight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire GCIEThe Order of the Indian Empire is now dormant.Member of the Order of Victoria and Albert VAThe Order of Victoria and Albert is now defunct; no appointments have been made since the death of Queen Victoria.Member of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India CIThe Order of the Crown of India is now dormant.Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order GCVOKnight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire GBEMember of the Order of the Companions of Honour CHKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath KCBDame Commander of the Order of the Bath DCBKnight Commander of the Order of the Star of India KCSIKnight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George KCMGDame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George DCMGKnight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire KCIEKnight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order KCVODame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order DCVOKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire KBEDame Commander of the Order of the British Empire DBECompanion of the Order of the Bath CBCompanion of the Order of the Star of India CSICompanion of the Order of St Michael and St George CMGCompanion of the Order of the Indian Empire CIECommander of the Royal Victorian Order CVOCommander of the Order of the British Empire CBECompanion of the Distinguished Service Order DSOLieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order LVOOfficer of the Order of the British Empire OBECompanion of the Imperial Service Order ISORecipient of the Imperial Service Medal ISMMember of the Royal Victorian Order MVOMember of the Order of the British Empire MBEMember of the Indian Order of Merit (Military) IOMThe Indian Order of Merit is now dormant.Recipient of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross CGCMember of the Royal Red Cross RRCRecipient of the Distinguished Service Cross DSCRecipient of the Military Cross MCRecipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross DFCRecipient of the Air Force Cross AFCAssociate of the Royal Red Cross ARRCMember of the Order of British India OBIThe Order of British India is now dormant.Recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Medal DCMRecipient of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal CGMRecipient of the George Medal GMRecipient of the Indian Distinguished Service Medal IDSMThe Indian Distinguished Service Medal is no longer awarded.Recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal DSMRecipient of the Military Medal MMRecipient of the Distinguished Flying Medal DFMRecipient of the Air Force Medal AFMRecipient of the Medal for Saving Life at Sea SGMMember of the Indian Order of Merit (Civil) IOMRecipient of the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry CPMThe Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry has not been awarded since 1974.Recipient of the King's Gallantry Medal KGMRecipient of the Royal Victorian Medal RVMRecipient of the British Empire Medal BEMRecipient of the King's Police and Fire Service MedalKPFSMRecipient of the King's Police Medal KPMRecipient of the King's Fire Service Medal KFSMRecipient of the King's Ambulance Service Medal KAMRecipient of the King's Volunteer Reserves Medal KVRMRecipient of the Colonial Police Medal for Meritorious Service OTPMPreviously known as the Colonial Police Medal (CPM).Recipient of the Army Emergency Reserve Decoration ERDRecipient of the Volunteer Officers' Decoration VDRecipient of the Territorial Decoration TDRecipient of the Ulster Defence Regiment Medal UDRecipient of the Efficiency Decoration EDRecipient of the Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Reserve RDRecipient of the Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve VRDRecipient of the Air Efficiency Award AERecipient of the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service MNMPostnominals date from Sep 16 onwards, when it became a state award. Previous awards of the Merchant Navy Medal, awarded from 2005 to 2015, did not attract post-nominal letters. See http://www.merchantnavymedal.org/Recipient of the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal, or volunteer reservist with 10 years' service VR

When listing the honours and awards enjoyed by any person it is not customary to include the Order of St John, as this is a Royal Order of Chivalry and not a State Order, and so confers no precedence. The statutes of the order state (statute 32(2)) The letters specified ... may be used ... but admission or promotion to any Grade of the Order ... shall not confer any rank, style, title, dignity, appellation or social precedence whatsoever.

The Grades of the Order of St John are: Grade IBailiff or Dame Grand CrossGCStJ Grade IIKnight or Dame of Justice or GraceKStJ or DStJ Grade III (a)ChaplainChStJ Grade III (b)Commander (Brother or Sister)CStJ Grade IVOfficer (Brother or Sister)OStJ Grade VMember (since 2008)Serving Brother or Serving Sister (before 2008)MStJSBStJ or SSStJ Grade VIEsquire (no longer in use as of 2018) EsqStJ

Appointments

Appointments to The KingPrivy Counsellor PC

There was also the Privy Council of Northern Ireland (P.C. (N.I.), which ceased to have appointments made in 1972, but there are only 2 members now living – Lord Kilclooney (appointed in 1970) and Robin Baillie. They also use The Right Honourable.Aide de Camp to His Majesty The King ADCHonorary Physician to The King KHPHonorary Surgeon to The King KHSHonorary Dental Surgeon to The King KHDSHonorary Nursing Sister to The King KHNSHonorary Chaplain to The King KHC Legal positions, etc.Supreme Court Justice SCJ Justice of the High Court JLord Justice of Appeal LJPresident of the Supreme CourtPDeputy President of the Supreme CourtDPLord ChancellorLCLord Chief JusticeCJMaster of the RollsMRChancellor of the High CourtCAppointmentsKing's Serjeant KS (defunct)Serjeant-at-law SL (defunct)King's Counsel KC (changes to 'QC' when a queen regnant succeeds to the throne, as was the case from 6 February 1952 to the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022)Justice of the Peace JPDeputy Lieutenant DL LegislatorsMember of Parliament"Member of Parliament" is used in the UK and other Commonwealth countries to describe members of the lower house of Parliament only. In the UK, members of the House of Commons are described as Members of Parliament, like in Canada, but members of the House of Lords are not. MPMember of the Scottish Parliament MSPMember of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) MS – formerly 'AM' (Assembly Member)Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly ('Member of the Legislative Assembly') MLAMember of the House of Keys (Isle of Man) MHKSpeaker of the House of Keys (Isle of Man) SHKMember of the Legislative Council (Isle of Man) MLCMember of the London Assembly AMWhen the London Assembly was first established in 2000 there was some debate over its members' post-nominal letters. The most commonly used were "AM", "GLA", "MLA" and "GLAM". GLA is a short form of Greater London Authority, of which the London Assembly is part. A consensus eventually grew around the use of AM.

University degrees and academic qualifications

These are usually given in ascending order, and may be followed by an abbreviation denoting the awarding Institute. "Hons" or "(Hons)" may be added after bachelor's or integrated master's degrees awarded with honours.

University degrees Foundation degree e.g. FdA, FdSc Bachelor's degree e.g. BA, BSc Primary qualifications in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science (master's level) e.g. MB ChB, MB BS, BM BS, BDS, BVSc, BVMS Integrated master's degree e.g. MEng, MChem, MPhys, MPharm Master's degree e.g. MPhil, MLitt, MRes, MA, MSc Doctorate e.g. PhD/DPhil, EdD, DBA, DClinPsyUniversity abbreviations

Optionally given after the degree(s) to which they refer in formal lists.

(Only abbreviated forms shown; other institutions use full names [omitting "University of"] in postnominals. Institutions are sometimes given in parentheses.)