About Monograms

What is a monogram?

A monogram consists of two or more letters, typically a person's initials, combined in a decorative design, used as a logo or to identify a personal possession.

Monogram Etiquette for Individuals

Traditional 3 letter monograms are usually set in the order of First Name, Last Name, Middle Name. The Last Name initial appears in the center and is larger than the other two. Therefore, if we were creating a 3 letter monogram for Elizabeth Ann Johnson the monogram would be EJA.

When creating a 2 letter monogram the First Name and Last Name is often used. This is particularly helpful when you do not know an individual’s middle name or that person does not have a middle name. Therefore, if we were creating a 2 letter monogram for Elizabeth Ann Johnson the monogram would be EJ. Both letters in this monogram would be the same size.

While a Single Initial is not necessarily considered a Monogram it is a lovely way to personalize an item. When using a single initial, either the First Name or Last Name can be used. Therefore, when using a single initial for Elizabeth Ann Johnson either an E or J would be fine.

Monogram Etiquette for Couples

A traditional 3 letter monogram can be used for a married couple. For a married couple the wife’s First Name initial is usually placed to the left, the husband’s Last Name initial is a larger letter placed in the middle, and the husband’s First Name initial is placed to the right. Therefore, if we were creating a 3 letter monogram for Chelsea and Richard Davis the monogram would be CDR.

The use of a single Initial when personalizing gifts for married couples is always nice. In this case the couple’s Last Name would be used.

If you would like to give a monogrammed gift to a couple and the wife has chosen not to take the surname of her husband a two initial monogram would be appropriate. However, because they are both First Names placing an ampersand in between would be appropriate. Therefore, if Chelsea decided to keep her last name when she married Richard the appropriate personalization would be C & R.

Monograms for Men

A traditional monogram with the Last Name in the middle can always be used for men as well as women. However, there are times when a 3 letter monogram for a man can be slightly different. When to change style is really up to you. A second choice for men would be a monogram that has all the letters the same size and is in First Name, Middle Name, Last Name order. Therefore, you can choose to create a monogram for Richard Michael Davis as a traditional monogram which would be RDM. Or you can choose to create a monogram with all letters the same size as RMD.

Ways to create Personalization on C. Claire Embroidery’s Website

The above information is meant to provide information on how to create monograms. There are many opinions and preferences that may differ. It is up to you to make a choice that works for you.

When you are making your personalization choices on our website there are few things to keep in mind. First of all, we do not have the benefit of knowing the individual this item is being created for. Therefore, we do not take the liberty of changing the spelling, order, or even capitalization of your product. Please do not enter a monogram aBc thinking that it will help us to know that you would like the middle initial to be larger. Please enter it in the capitalization that you would like it to be. There are some people who request their monograms in all lower case. So it you enter your order as aBc that is the way you will receive it.

Secondly, if you would like to have a monogram with the letters all the same size we advise you to enter the personalization type as “Name.” Then enter your characters in all caps. This way we know that you would like them to be all the same size. If you choose “Monogram” as your personalization type we will assume that you would like the initial in the center of the monogram to be larger than the other two.

Finally, we know that choosing a personalized gift for someone can be a challenge at times, especially if this is something that you do not do very often. We are always here to answer questions if you are unsure of a product or the best way to personalize it. Please feel free to contact us at any time with your questions. No question is too small when it comes to getting the product that you want. Also, please remember that you want to double check that your order is correct before you submit it. Once the product is created it cannot be returned because it is a personalized item. If you find that you have made a mistake after your order is submitted contact us right away. If that item has not been created yet we will be happy to make the necessary changes.