Post-nominal letters are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, office, or honour.

An individual may use several different sets of post-nominal letters. Honours are listed first in descending order of precedence, followed by degrees and memberships of learned societies in ascending order.

Some obsolete positions are not listed unless recipients who continue to use the post-nominals even after the order becomes obsolete are still living.

Antigua and Barbuda

[1] The Honours System of Antigua and Barbuda was created in 1998

Australia

See also: Australian Honours System

See also: Australian Honours Order of Precedence

Notes:

[1] Refers to both the Imperial Victoria Cross and the Victoria Cross for Australia. Awarding of the Imperial Victoria Cross to Australian citizens ended when the Victoria Cross for Australia was created as part of the Australian Honours System in 1991. The Australian Victoria Cross has yet to be awarded. Of the 96 Australians awarded the Victoria Cross there are two living: Edward Kenna and Keith Payne.

[2] These are Imperial awards. All Imperial awards made to Australian citizens after 5 October 1992 are classed as foreign awards, and hence such Australian citizens are not entitled to use the associated post-nominal letters. (Those who were presented with these awards before that date are still permitted to use the post-nominal letters.)

[3] In the period 1975-1991, for Australian citizens and ADF personnel, a number of Imperial awards were replaced by Australian awards:

[4] Provision for further awards at the Knight & Dame level within the Order of Australia was removed by Her Majesty The Queen on 3 March 1986 on the advice of the Prime Minister. Those who have been awarded this rank are still permitted to use the title and the post-nominal letters.

[5] Post-nominals within the Order of St John are not recognised as notified in the Governor-General’s media release of 14 August 1982.

Canada

Main article: List of post-nominal letters in Canada

Hong Kong

See also: Hong Kong honours system

[1] Those individuals who received British Honours prior to the handover may continue to wear the order and/or use the related post-nominal letters, however, these are not officially recognised by the Government of Hong Kong.

[2] Senior Counsel is a replacement for the title of Queen's Counsel. Those individuals who had achieved the status of QC may continue to employ the letters in addition to SC.

Ireland

Jamaica

see also Jamaican Orders of the Societies of Honour

[1] Members of the Order of the National Hero do not use post-nominal letters. They instead "The Right Excellent" before their names and "National Hero of Jamaica" after their names.

[2] In addition to the post-nominal letters ON, members of the Order of the Nation use "The Most Honourable" before their names.

[3] Honorary Members must utilise OJ {hon} instead. Members are entitled to use "The Honourable" before their names.

[4] Honorary Appointments must use the letters CD (hon) or OD (hon).

Malta

[1] There is an additional higher Grade Companion of Honour With Collar but the post-nominal letters are the same

New Zealand

See also: New Zealand Honours System

[1] The New Zealand Order of Merit was created in 1996 to replace the Orders of the Bath, St Michael and St George, the British Empire, and the Companions of Honour, as well as the distinction of Knight Bachelor, for New Zealand recipients. The two highest levels were originally Knight/Dame Grand Companion and Knight/Dame Companion and implied knighthood. In 2000 the Queen, on the advice of Prime Minister Helen Clark, changed the titles of these levels to Principal Companion and Distinguished Companion respectively, and removed the privileges of knighthood. Those New Zealanders who were appointed to the first or second level before the change (and thus created a knight or dame) are still permitted to style themselves "Sir" or "Dame" and use the former post-nominal letters.

[2] Only those orders and decorations which are unique to New Zealand are listed, although a number of 'British' honours are still part of the New Zealand Honours System, notably those which are in the personal gift of the Sovereign, i.e. the Order of the Garter, Order of the Thistle, Royal Victorian Order, and the Order of Merit. In addition there are many living New Zealanders who hold appointments in the orders which the New Zealand Order of Merit replaced. For a full list of honours see listing of the correct order of wear for orders, decorations and medals in New Zealand.

Papua New Guinea

See also: Awards system of Papua New Guinea

[1] Papua New Guinea created their own honours system in 2004 with the first investitures being performed by The Princess Royal in September 2005. Papua New Guinea still recognises the Imperial Honours System. [3]

Rhodesia

See also: Rhodesian honours system

[1] The Honours System of Rhodesia was superseded by the Honours System of Zimbabwe in 1981.

Solomon Islands

Sri Lanka

See also Sri Lankan national honours system

Trinidad & Tobago

See also National Awards of Trinidad and Tobago

[1] Although issued in three classes (Gold, Silver and Bronze) all three medals carry the same post-nominal letters.

United Kingdom

See also: British honours system