Common Era

Originally Vulgar Era. The English phrase "common Era" appears at least as early as 1708, and by 1715 is used synonymously with "Christian Era" and "Vulgar Era".

Common Era

1. The secular equivalent of anno Domini and the Christian Era, the internationally recognized method of numbering years on the Gregorian calendar.
   • 1708 January, The History of the Works of the Learned‎, volume 10, London: Printed for H. Rhodes, retrieved 2011-10-31, page 513:

     The second Book is divided into eight Chapters, treats of the origin of the Greek Characters, and changes that happen'd in them, to the fourth Century of the common Era.

   • 1715, Gregory, David; John Nicholson, John Morphew, The Elements of Astronomy, Physical and Geometrical‎, volume v. 1 (Astronomy), London: printed for J. Nicholson, and sold by J. Morphew, retrieved 2008-01-05, pages 252:

     Some say the World was created 3950 Years before the common Æra of Christ

   • 1835, Alexander Campbell, Living Oracles:

     The vulgar Era, or Anno Domini; the fourth year of Jesus Christ, the first of which was but eight days." In its article on General Chronology, the 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia stated that "Foremost among these (dating eras) is that which is now adopted by all civilized peoples and known as the Christian, Vulgar or Common Era, in the twentieth century of which we are now living.

   • 1770, Hooper, William; Bielfeld, Jacob Friedrich, The Elements of Universal Eurdition (v. 2)‎, London: G. Scott, printer, for J Robson, bookseller in New-Bond Street, and B. Law in Ave-Mary Lane, retrieved 2007-09-13, pages p 105:

     1796 years before the common era, and 1020 before the first Olympiad.

• Era Vulgaris (pseudo-Latin, by Thelemites)

• BCE (Before the Common Era)

• Common Era on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “Common Era” in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
• “Common Era” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "Common Era" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.
• "General Chronology in the Catholic Encyclopedia, Robert Appleton Company, 1908.