and headache to modern genealogists and historians. Was this common only in churches or was it practiced throughout society in general?
Ol' Myrt here believes the irksome habit of hiding full identities through the prominent use of initials instead of given names in ancient documents was a practice perpetrated by individuals who obviously advised their descendants to purchase stock in companies providing aspirin, acetaminophen and other headache remedies.
Seriously, though, there were no set guidelines. You will note in 16th century English parish records of christenings, marriages and burials, the entries vary in detail from priest to priest within the same diocese. Census enumerators were given guidelines yet a wide variety of creative adaptations are noted within my personal research.
All this is designed to keep us on our toes and not rely on one document to prove family relationships.