Many people recognize a monogram as initials or a set of letters combined to make one sign of identity. What many people do not know is how the monogram came to be used and the proper way to create or read one.

Historically, a monogram was used as a royal signature. Romans and Greeks used them on coins to identify their rulers. Then, in the Middle Ages, artisans began to use them to sign their work. Victorian-period high-class persons adapted the monogram for personal use as a symbol of their place in society. Now, monograms can be seen on just about anything: bags, shoes, purses, clothes, personal stationary, and, of course, towels. Towels are perhaps the most popular of these examples. Newlyweds will often choose new towels and the monogram to be embroidered.

One can look almost anywhere and find a monogram. Luxury car companies sometimes monogram the leather seats of their vehicles, monograms are sometimes used as company logos, and people walk around with monogrammed jewelry and bags all the time.

In the Victorian era, rules for monograms were quite simple and few. Female monograms had the first initial on the left, middle initial on the right, and last initial embroidered larger in the middle. But the rules are hardly simple anymore. A monogram can be playful, whimsical, flamboyant, traditional, elegant, or understated; the number of choices today is almost infinite. Many still choose to use the traditional Victorian female model, but now there is a traditional male model of first, middle, last, all in the same size, and there are numerous styles to choose from.

A monogram can be a whole name or just initials. Rules are now flexible, but for the purist, there are a few standards. First of all, monograms with three initials are generally in the Victorian format of first initial, large last initial, middle initial. Then there is the male monogram of same-size letters first, middle, last initials. Married monograms usually consist of the bride’s first initial on the left, the groom’s first initial on the right, and the joint last name initial larger in the center, similar to the Victorian female version. A married woman would use her first name initial on the left, maiden initial on the right, then new last initial larger in the center.