How To Monogram The Right Way For Any Style Of Name By Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell is a Southern Living fellow who is starting her career in lifestyle journalism. Primarily focused on social media and digital production, Mary Alice is excited to hone her skills and dedicate her professional life to beautiful things, from homes to hearts.A recent graduate of Washington and Lee University, Mary Alice majored in journalism and art history. At W&L, she was co-editor-in-chief of her school paper, The Ring-tum Phi, with her best friend and interned for The Welcome Home Podcast. Now based in Birmingham, Alabama, Mary Alice is a Virginia native who is proud to hail from the land of ham and peanuts. Southern Living's editorial guidelines and Betsy Cribb Watson Betsy Cribb Watson Betsy is the Senior Home and Features Editor at Southern Living. She writes about a veritable potpourri of topics for print and digital, from profiling Southern movers-and-shakers and celebrating family traditions to highlighting newsy restaurant openings and curating the annual holiday gift guide. Prior to joining the Southern Living team in 2017 as the style editor, she worked at Coastal Living as an assistant editor covering pets and homes. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 7, 2025 Close Credit: HECTOR SANCHEZ Let's get real: Monograms are, in fact, a mandatory element of Southern style. They make a statement. They make your statement. Monograms put a personal spin on everything from tote bags and personalized cufflinks to silverware and pocket squares. Monograms can also be tricky. Mastering the order ("What goes in the middle?") can be complicated and downright confusing. But knowing how to present them is key to telling your personal story. And once you get it right, the options are endless on how to make them look great—and personalized for you. There are many different shapes, sizes, and weights—plus many color options. For example, a single woman with a double name will have a monogram that looks quite different from a single woman without a formal middle name. What's the proper order? Should everything be an upper-case letter? We're here to set the monogramming record straight with the best etiquette tips for perfecting those three (or sometimes four) letters. 9 Holiday Etiquette Tips All Southerners Should Know 01 of 08 Traditional Monogram Credit: Southern Living For an individual, the order of initials is the first name, last name, and middle name. The last name initial (center) is larger than those on either side. 02 of 08 Three Letter Monogram Credit: Southern Living Place the initials in order (first, middle, last) at the same size for an individual monogram. 03 of 08 Two Letter Monogram Credit: Southern Living If you don't have a middle name, place the initials in order (first, last) at the same size. 04 of 08 Double Name Monogram After Marriage Credit: Southern Living Many girls with double first names aren't sure how their monogram should look after they get married. Start with the double name initials stacked. Then the initial of your married name is in the center, followed by the maiden name initial. The double name initials, when stacked, should be the same size as the maiden name initial. The married last name initial (center) will be the largest. 05 of 08 Multiple Middle Name Monogram Credit: Southern Living If you have multiple middle names, start your monogram with your first name initial. Follow this with your middle name initials, and end with your last name initial. All of the initials should appear in the same size. 06 of 08 Traditional Couple Monogram Credit: Southern Living Begin with her first name initial, followed by the married last name initial, and end with his first name initial. The last name initial (center) is larger than the first name initials. 07 of 08 Double Last Name Couple Monogram Credit: Southern Living If the individuals both keep their last names, start with her first and last initial followed by his. The two last name initials (center) will be larger than the two first name initials. 08 of 08 Hyphenated Last Name Monogram Credit: Southern Living For an individual with a hyphenated last name, begin with the first name initial, followed by the two last name initials, and end with the middle name initial. The two last name initials (center) will be larger. Explore more: Culture and Lifestyle Etiquette And Manners Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit