Poll: What does "monogram" mean to you?

[TR]

Inspired by the names on backpacks post on MMM. Before Christmas 2017, H told me he'd ordered monogrammed stockings for us and the dogs. I was super touched because I thought he meant initials with my new last initial since we were getting married that year. Turns out they're just embroidered with our first names. Which is fine, but not at all what I consider to be a monogram.

From reading that thread, it seems like a fair number of people use it to just mean personalized or embroidered. So I'm curious how it shakes out.

[yaga]

Any kind of initial - shared last name, each person's initials, etc. In any order.

Name would just be "personalized."

(I say this as someone who owns not a single monogrammed thing.)

[ssmjlm]

I call a monogram anything with letters/single initial.

Personalized is for names of stuff.

[wildrice]

A monogram is a word with a specific meaning. To me, it means:

noun
a motif of two or more letters, typically a person's initials, usually interwoven or otherwise combined in a decorative design, used as a logo or to identify a personal possession.
"a handkerchief with his monogram embroidered on one corner"

What you describe is not a monogram. In fact I would guess that the "mono" in the word comes from the single letter use from each name.

[Deleted]

I think a monogram is when the last initial is larger and/or higher up than the other letters and in the middle, with the first initial then on the left and the middle initial then on the right. I guess it could also be just the last or first initial by themselves, but usually I think of it with all 3 letters.

[Deleted]

Initials, any combination. First initial, last initial, first and last, first-middle-last, first-Last-first for a couple.

A name is not a monogram.

[deadwing]

Initials. I know first/last/middle is traditional, but I hate it. If my initials are ABC, then ACB makes no sense.

[mommin]

I could see people using the words interchangeably but IMO what you described you be personalized or just embroidered names.

[calico]

To me, monogrammed is the FLM initial order. Personalized could be name or initials in FML order.

[cereal K]

People use the phrase interchangeably for sure. I do embroidery on the side, so I've come to "hear" it that way too - when someone asks if I can monogram something, I ask what they want on it.

To me, a monogram = initial(s) - could be first-middle-last, first-last-middle, first-last, first, or last. There are so many different styles!

Anything else is embroidery.

[redheadk]

Monogram is initials, any order (FLM if center is larger, FML or FL if all the same size). Embroidered (if it is in fact embroidery) or personalized if it's the full name.

[definitelyO]

monogram: initials - first, last, middle
Personalized: any combination of name/names

[ellipses84]

Monogram is 3 initial, but I’m ok referring to it if it’s only 1 initial, either first or last. The whole name is just the embroidered name. I think a lot of people are just confusing the terms.

[casacasa]

I picked first last middle. But I also think of husband first initial, last name initial, wife first initial

[thebreakfastclub]

I had no clue first, last, middle was how a monogram worked. I don't have a middle name and am not living the monogram lifestyle, clearly.

[TR]

Jun 14, 2021 14:58:34 GMT -5 casacasa said:

I picked first last middle. But I also think of husband first initial, last name initial, wife first initial

Someone gave us towels embroidered with this and told us this is technically a duogram lol Ours is boring because our first names have the same first letter.

[cricketwife]

I often hear “monogrammed” used to mean any personalization and have used it that way myself, though I do know that technically, having a name embroidered on something isn’t a monogram.  But even Lands End, where I get my kids’ names “monogrammed” 😉 does not make the distinction.  You have to choose the option of “add a monogram” and then choose which “monogram” you want - initials or a word (name).  To me, it’s a lot like of people use Great Britain and United Kingdom to mean the same thing, even though they don’t.  

[cricketwife]

Jun 14, 2021 15:15:23 GMT -5 TR said:

Jun 14, 2021 14:58:34 GMT -5 casacasa said:

I picked first last middle. But I also think of husband first initial, last name initial, wife first initial

Someone gave us towels embroidered with this and told us this is technically a duogram lol Ours is boring because our first names have the same first letter.

Ours would equally be boring because our “dualgram” would be H’s monogram and he would claim everything as his! 😂

[Gwen]

This is a fun poll because I was so confused when folks were saying “yes, we have the name monogrammed”. I caught-on but just thought it was initials.

I also think it’s technically correct for the last name’s initial to be in the center but I answered “any order” in the survey because it was more inclusive for the term.

[pinkdutchtulips]

Anything personalized whether it’s my name or simply my initials.

[msmerymac]

Anything with initials - a single initial or initials in any order (I most often see first-middle-last if they are on one line, and first-last-middle if they are in a diamond or other shape). I wouldn't consider an embroidered name to be a "monogram," just personalization.

As an aside, all of my initials are the same letter, so I usually will use my first name or just one letter if I'm getting something personalized.

[goldengirlz]

Jun 14, 2021 15:15:44 GMT -5 cricketwife said:

I often hear “monogrammed” used to mean any personalization and have used it that way myself, though I do know that technically, having a name embroidered on something isn’t a monogram.  But even Lands End, where I get my kids’ names “monogrammed” 😉 does not make the distinction.  You have to choose the option of “add a monogram” and then choose which “monogram” you want - initials or a word (name).  To me, it’s a lot like of people use Great Britain and United Kingdom to mean the same thing, even though they don’t.  

I think it’s more of an example of the way language is evolving. It’s not about confusing two distinct geopolitical entities, but more like the way most people no longer know the difference between the words “dinner” and “supper.” It’s an old-fashioned distinction that people don’t really care about anymore. To the extent most people “monogram” anything these days, it’s sticking some letters on a kid’s backpack.

(ETA: This is probably showing my bias as a non-Southerner!)

[jane6672]

I think of initials. But would also recognize that it could mean any personalization.



If there’s a big letter in the middle that should be the last initial. Or what I call a “hoity toity monogram”.

[fivechickens]

Anything personalized.

[tacokick]

Initials only! It really bothers and confuses me when people use it incorrectly TBH.

[af1212]

This was driving me nuts in that thread. The words “embroidered”, “personalized” and “monogrammed” are not interchangeable!!!

A monogram is initials.

[blondemoment123]

Jun 14, 2021 14:14:59 GMT -5 mofongo said:

For me just anything personalized.

This. Not very southern of me. Lol.

[revolution]

Definitely F-L-M initials is a monogram.

Anything else is personalized.

[revolution]

Jun 14, 2021 16:45:12 GMT -5 blondemoment123 said:

Jun 14, 2021 14:14:59 GMT -5 mofongo said:

For me just anything personalized.

This. Not very southern of me. Lol.

The south really loves monograms. I never realized how much Until we moved south.

[liverandonions]

A true monogram - first initial, last initial, middle initial.


Names are personalized