Be sure to read any footnotes that pertain to your ancestor. Superscripting is also used to identify the generation an individual fits into. When you see superscripts in this context, it informs you of how many generations an individual is removed from the key person. In some cases, an entire paternal lineage is displayed in parentheses following the person's name. When you first encounter a compiled family history, you will be struck by the variety and number of abbreviations.
Abbreviations save space and avoid the tedium of writing the same information over and over.
Unfortunately, there is no true standard for what they mean. As a result, you need to familiarize yourself with what they mean in a particular work. If any of your families were among the early settlers of the United States, or if they were among the early settlers of a particular community, town, county, or state, histories could be invaluable compiled secondary sources. In virtually every village, town, city, county, or state, someone has written and published a history of that area. These histories serve two very important functions.