United Kingdom

Shirley Vince

Why is this always stated fully and not just UK - this is what most people, companies, media, Customs and the Post Office all use. It is rarely written out fully anymore. it would be far easier for all concerned it was shortened in the documentation and standardized as well.

Paul W

@Shirley Vince

Firstly, as as UK / United Kingdom resident, this is not my experience. Much of the post I receive from commercial concerns does have "United Kingdom" as the last line. In fact, I received a letter today where the sender also showed "United Kingdom" in their address details.

When it comes to FamilySearch, I wish the "United Kingdom" (or "U.K.") would be omitted altogether. It caused great difficulties when introduced some years back, as the search engine then failed to search on specific (inputted) towns. I live in England and prefer to end my address with that, when communicating with relatives living abroad - even though "United Kingdom" does seem to be the officially recognised format.

(I don't know if this is a fact, but I just read in an article: "The United States Postal Service has computer systems that use UK as an abbreviation for "Ukraine".")

Gordon Collett

In general, abbreviations are bad ideas. The goal of Family Search is for this database to last forever. Some of the abbreviations used in submissions to early version of it sixty years ago are almost unintelligible now. There is no way to know now if UK will mean anything to anybody a hundred years from now.

Brett .

@Shirley Vince

Shirley

Welcome to the "Community.FamilySearch" Forum.

I am just another 'lowly' User/Patron ...

Further to what both, 'Paul'; and, 'Gordon', have already proffered ...

[ To which I totally agree ... ]

I for one, just DO NOT like, "Abbreviations", of any description ...

I certainly would NOT like to 'see', the abbreviation of "UK", for the "United Kingdom", in a 'Place Name", in 'FamilySearch'.

And ...

Taking another example ...

I for one DO NOT even like, the EXISTING "Abbreviation", of "United States"; as, a 'Place Name", in 'FamilySearch'.

The aforementioned SHOULD be (ie. appear as), "United States of America".

But ...

That Said ...

NOT being from the "United States of America", I doubt, very much, that I will get anywhere with that one ...

Just my thoughts.

Brett