The following tables are some of the organization, acronyms and abbreviations that I have encountered. If you know of any others that you think should be included, send me an email so we can update the list.
This table is a list of some of the organizations that I have found in my reading. While not all inclusive, it is a start.
One of the main sources that I used for the list was The Encyclopaedic Dictionary, edited by Robert Hunter and Prof. Charles Morris; Philadelphia, Pa., Syndicate Publishing Company, 1898, Volume VI pp5358-59.
| R.S.M. | Royal & Selected Masons |
I.O.K.S.B. | Independent Order of Kescher Schel Brazel
(a Jewish benevolent association 1860-1903)
Jehuda Lodge No. 37
I. O. K. S. B.
100 Market Street
Newark, NJ |
| AMD | Allied Masonic Degree |
| | American Authors' Guild. Founded 1892 |
| ABA | American Benefit Association |
AFL | American Federation of Labor. Founded 1876 |
| ALOH | American Legion of Honor. Founded 1878 |
| APA | American Protective Association. Founded 1887 |
| | American Protestant Association, Junior. Founded 1890 |
| | American Protestant Association. Founded 1849 |
ASPCA |
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Founded 1866 |
| Ancient and Illustrious Order of Knights of Malta. Organized in its modern form in Scotland in the eighteenth century; introduced into American in 1870
The sisterhood was known as the Dames of Malta |
| AAONMS | Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Masonic) |
| AASR | Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (Masonic) |
| AOD | Ancient Order of Druids. Founded (England) 1781; introduced into United States 1839 |
AOF | Ancient Order of Foresters. Founded (England) 1745; introduced into United Sates 1832 |
| AF&AM | Ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons. Founded (in its modern form) early in the eighteenth century; introduced into United States in 1733 |
A.O.H.
L.A.O.H. |
Ancient Order of Hibernians. Founded 1836
Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians aka Daughters of Erin |
| AOUW | Ancient Order of United Workmen. Founded 1868 |
| | Artisans' Order of Mutual Protection. Founded 1873. Principally in Philadelphia. |
| | Association for Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. Founded 1888 |
| | Aztec Club of 1846. Founded (City of Mexico) 1847; incorporated 1892 |
| BYPU | Baptist Young People's Union of America. Founded 1891 |
BPOE | Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks. Founded 1866 |
| | Brotherhood of Christian Unity. Founded 1893 |
| | Brotherhood of Philip and Andrew. Founded 1888 |
| BRT | Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen |
| | Brotherhood of St. Andrew. Founded 1883 |
| CBL | Catholic Benevolent Legion. Founded 1881 |
| CK of A | Catholic Knights of America. Founded 1877 |
| CMBA | Catholic Mutual Benefit Association. Founded 1876 |
| | Catholic Total Abstinence Union. Founded 1872 |
| | Children of the Confederacy. Founded at Alexandria, Va. April, 1896 |
| | Christian Alliance. Founded 1887 |
| | Colonial Order of the Acorn. Founded 1892; members less than 100 |
| | Colonial Society of Massachusetts. Founded 1892; members limited to 100 resident and 20 non-resident |
| | Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo. Founded 1891 |
CSSIW | Continental Society Sons of Indian Wars |
| DoL | Daughters of Liberty. Founded 1875 (An outgrowth of the United American Mechanics) |
| |
Daughters of Rebekah (Women's Branch of the Odd Fellows). Founded 1850 |
DAR | Daughters of the American Revolution. Founded 1890 |
| | Daughters of the Cincinnati. Founded 1894 |
| | Daughters of the Confederacy. Founded 1894; State chapters probably in all the Southern States |
| | Daughters of the King. Founded 1885 |
| | Daughters of the Revolution. Founded 1891 |
| | Descendants of the Pioneers of America. Founded 1893 |
| | Empire Knights of Relief. Members (as of 1894) 1401 |
| | Epworth League. Founded 1889 |
| EAU | Equitable Aid Union. Founded 1879 |
| | Foresters of America. Introduced from England about 1874, severed from English society 1889 |
| | Fraternal Legion |
FOE | Fraternal Order of Eagles |
| | Fraternity of Modern Woodmen of America. Founded 1883 |
F&AM | Free and Accepted Masons |
| | Gaelic Society. Founded 1879 |
| | General Federation of Women�s Clubs. Founded 1862 |
| | General Society of War of 1812. Founded 1814 |
GAR | Grand Army of the Republic. Founded 1866 |
| | Grand Fraternity. Founded 1885 |
| | Grand United Order of Odd Fellows of America (Colored branch). Founded 1843 |
| | Grangers. (See Patrons of Husbandry) |
| | Greek Letter College Societies. Kappa-Alpha, the oldest in United States, founded 1825 |
| | Holland Society of New York. Founded 1875 |
| | Home Circle. Founded 1879 |
| | Huguenot Society of America. Founded 1883 |
| | Improved Order of Heptasophs. Founded 1878 |
I.O.R.M | Improved Order of Red Men. Founded 1771; reorganized under present (1894) title 1834
The precepts of the Order are Freedom, Friendship and Charity
Independent Red Men's Hall Association
154 Market Street, Newark, NJ |
| | Independent Order of B'rith Abraham. Founded 1859 |
IOF | Independent Order of Foresters |
| | Independent Order of Mechanics. Founded 1868 |
IOOF | Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Founded (England) about 1745; introduced into United States 1819; independent of English order 1842 |
| | Independent Order of Rechabites. Founded (England) 1835; introduced into United States 1842 |
| | Independent Order of Sons of Benjamin |
| IOGT | International Order of Good Templars. Founded 1851 |
IOJD | International Order of Job's Daughters |
| | Iowa Legion of Honor |
| | Irish Catholic Benevolent Union. Founded 1869 |
J.O.A.M. | Junior Order of American Mechanics |
J.O.U.A.M. | Junior Order of United American Mechanics. Founded 1853 |
| | Knights and Ladies of Honor. Founded 1877 |
| | Knights and Ladies of the Golden Star |
K. of C. | Knights of Columbus |
| | Knights of Honor. Founded 1873 |
| | Knights of Labor. Founded 1869 |
| K.O.T.M. | Knights of the Maccabees |
K of P | Knights of Pythias. Founded 1864 |
| | Knights of St. John and Malta. Founded in its modern form in Scotland; introduced into United States in 1874 |
| | Knights of the Golden Eagle. Founded 1873 |
| | Knights of the Golden Rule |
| | Knights of the Maccabees. Founded 1881 |
| | Knights of the Mystic Chain. Founded 1871 |
K.T. | Knights Templar - Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem |
| Kriegerbund - German-American organization of veterans from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. At the turn of the century, 1900's, there was one in Youngstown and one in Akron, Ohio. |
| League of American Wheelmen. Founded 1880 |
| | Legion of the Red Cross. Founded 1885 |
| | Loyal Order of Moose http://www.mooseintl.org/ |
| | Medal of Honor Legion. Founded 1890 |
| | Military and Naval Order of the United States. Founded 1894 |
| | Military Order of the Loyal Legion. Founded 1865 |
| | Military Society of the War of 1812. Founded 1826 |
| | Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons (Colored branch). Founded 1784 |
| | Mount Vernon Ladies� Association. Founded 1854 |
| | National Association of Naval Veterans. Founded 1887 |
| | National Cymrodorion Society. Founded 1890 |
| | National League for Good Roads. Founded 1892 |
| | National Mary Washington Memorial Association. Founded 1890 |
| | National Provident Union. Founded 1883 |
NSDAC | National Society Daughters of the American Colonists |
| | National Society of Children of the American Revolution. Founded 1895 |
| | National Society of New England Women. Founded 1895 |
| | National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Founded 1890; societies 14 (in original States and District of Columbia) |
NSSDP | National Society Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims |
| | National Union. Founded 1881 |
| | Naval Order of the United States. Founded 1890 |
| | New England Order of Protection. Founded 1887 |
| | Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Composed of Knights Templars and thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Masons.) |
| | Northwestern Legion of Honor |
| | Order of Chosen Friends. Founded 1879 |
| | Order of Mutual Protection |
| | Order of Scottish Clans. Founded 1878 |
| | Order of the Golden Chain. Founded 1881 |
| | Order of United American Mechanics. Founded 1840 |
| | Order of United Friends. Founded 1881 |
| | Order of Washington. Founded 1895 |
| | Patriotic Order of Sons of America. Founded 1847 |
| | Patriots of America (advocates of Free Silver). Founded 1895 |
| | Patrons of Husbandry. Founded 1867 |
| | Patriotic Order Sons of America |
| | Protected Home Circle |
| | Regular Army and Navy Union. Founded 1888 |
| | Republican Club |
RA | Royal Academy |
RA | Royal Arcanum. Founded 1877 |
R.A.M. | Royal Arch Masons (York Rite masons, seventh degree) |
| | Royal Knights of America. Founded 1890 |
| | Royal League |
| | Royal Society of Good Fellows. Founded 1882 |
| | Royal Templars of Temporance. Founded 1878 |
| | Salvation Army. Founded (England) 1865 |
| | Scotch-Irish Society of America. Founded 1889 |
| | Select Friends |
| | Senate of Sparta. Founded 1879 |
| | Shield of Honor |
| SCW | Society of Colonial Wars. Founded 1892; State societies 13 |
| | Society of Mayflower Descendants. Founded 1894 |
| | Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Founded (Paris) 1833 |
| | Society of the Army of Georgia. Founded 1868 |
| | Society of the Army of the Cumberland. Founded 1868 |
| | Society of the Army of the Tennessee. Founded 1865 |
| | Society of the Army of West Virginia. Founded 1871 |
| | Society of the Cincinnati. Founded 1783. |
| | Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Founded 1891; societies 14 (in original States and District of Columbia) |
| | Society of the Foreign Wars of the United States. Founded 1894 |
| SCV | The Sons of Confederate Veterans Founded 1896 |
| | Sons of Jonadab. Founded 1867-1870 (Temperance organization) |
| | Sons of Temperance. Founded 1842 |
SAR | Sons of the American Revolution. Founded 1889 |
| SR | Sons of the Revolution. Founded 1876 |
| SUVCW | Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, founded 1881, legal successor to the GAR (by Congressional charter in 1954), The SUVCW is one of five Allied Orders of the GAR. The other four Orders are: Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War. |
| | Sons of Veterans, U.S.A. Founded 1879 |
| | St. Nicholas Society of the City of New York. Founded 1835 |
| | The Eclectic Assembly. Members (as of 1894) 178 |
| | The Fraternal Mystic Circle. Founded 1884 |
| | The Pilgrim Society. Founded 1820 |
| | Theosophical Society. Founded 1875 |
| | Tribe of Ben Hur. Founded 1894 |
| | Union Veterans� Union. Founded 1886 |
| | United American Veterans. Founded 1893 |
| | United Confederate Veterans. Founded 1889 |
| | United Order of Pilgrim Fathers. Founded 1879 |
| | United Order of the Golden Cross. Founded 1876 |
| | United Society of Christian Endeavor. Founded 1881 |
| | United States� Daughters, 1776-1812. Founded 1892 |
| | Woman�s Christian Temperance Union. Founded 1874 |
| | Woman�s Relief Corps. Founded 1883 |
| | Woodmen of the World. Founded 1890 |
YMCA | Young Men's Christian Association. Founded (England) 1844; introduced into United States 1851 |
YWCA | Young Women's Christian Association. Founded 1857 |
This list is not all inclusive, and in many instances their are numerous abbreviations for a Given name.
