History of the Monogram

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Many Silhouette and Cricut small business crafters create monogrammed products for customers. As a northerner living in the south, monograms are a trend that I’ve never really adopted. Last week, a fellow northerner emailed me asking me about the history of monograms. So, I set out to find out.

History of Monograms

I found that monograms originated in the Roman and Greek times. The initials or monograms of rulers were inscribed into coins. In the Middle Ages, artists and tradesmen used their initials or monograms to mark their work. Later on, during the Victorian era, monograms began to be used to mark personal belongings and became a status symbol of wealth and prosperity. High class Victorians monogrammed everything from table cloths and cutlery to furniture and even their cars. The monogram craze in Victorian times reached all the way from the wealthiest families to lower class families who could often only afford block letter stamps to monogram their items. The use of monograms came and went during the war years, but are back in a big way in modern times – especially for people living in the southern US states.

Proper Monogram Placement & Details

(This is for you northerners!)

• Monogram order. Traditional monograms should be in this order: First Name Initial, Last Name Initial, Middle Initial. For example, my name is Christine Ann Hansen, my monogram would be CHA.

• Monograms change. Tradition dictates that once married, a woman can continue to use her maiden name monogram, or drop her middle initial and replace it with her maiden name. For example, maiden name is Christine Hansen, and my married name is Christine Schinagl, my monogram would be CSH.

• Men’s monograms. Traditional men’s monograms are presented in First Name Initial, Middle Name Initial, Last Name Initial. For example, William B Schinagl’s monogram is WBS.

When working on custom orders in your Silhouette or Cricut small business, be sure to verify what order your customer would like the initials to appear.

Are you a fan of monograms? Let me know in the comments!