The History of Monograms
by Nadia Beadle
Commonly thought of as a modern, southern decoration, monograms actually have a long history and a more general usage. What exactly is a monogram? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Eleventh Edition, a monogram is a “sign of identity composed of the combined initials of a name.” Personalization and monograms have been used all throughout history and are very similar, as both are cute, decorative ways to show ownership on an item.
Monograms go as far back as 350 B.C., where we see the first two initials of cities’ names engraved on Greek coins. Since then, monograms have made an appearance in the Middle Ages, the sixth century, eighth century, and a massive comeback in the seventeenth century. Popular still today, monogrammed bags, hats, purses, shirts, and skirts are rapidly climbing the fashion ladder, for it’s a growing trend that we are starting to see everywhere.
First used to signify which city a coin belongs to, monograms have been used numerous ways. Chi Rho (☧), the symbol for Christ, has been used in the Christian church since the first century A.D. Artists during the Renaissance, such as Albrecht Dürer, created their own monograms to be their signatures on artwork.
Another common usage in history employed by Charlemagne in particular has been to show power or claim ownership of things as seen in the coat of arms tradition in England as well as rebus monograms found in Japan in the mid- seventeenth century.
Lastly, monogrammed personal belongings can be used as a fashion statement as the French women of 1870 used them for.
Monograms have been here since the first written languages, and even the word “monogram” has a history. First appearing with Greek roots, a late latin form was “monogramma”, with our modern word “monogram” not coming about until the late seventeenth century. Whatever it may be called, monogramming is an ancient art that we still use today.
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