The History of Title Case. Where Did Capitalized Titles Come From?

illustration: Bing AI

In the 19th century, newspapers like The Times and The New York Times adopted Title Case as the standard for their headlines. Using capital letters suggested formality and professionalism. Publishers noted that this style attracted readers on the busy streets of London and New York. Title Case gained further traction through style guides, such as the first edition of the Chicago Manual of Style in 1906, which solidified capitalization rules for headlines and promoted them as an editorial standard.

• In the 18th century, Title Case appeared in over 80% of newspaper headlines.
• By the 19th century, its usage in the press increased to nearly 95%.

Why Did Media Move Away from Title Case?

Although Title Case dominated newspapers and books for over two centuries, the 1990s saw a shift with the rise of the internet. Modern digital platforms and blogs began to abandon the formal style. The introduction of sentence case, where only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized, reflected changing audience preferences.


British media outlets like The Guardian were among the first to drop Title Case. Since 2005, all titles on their website have been written in sentence case. Editors observed that a less formal style resonated better with contemporary readers, who preferred quick and accessible reading experiences.

Changes in British and American Media:

• British media: “The Guardian” and “The Times” adopted sentence case to align with digital trends.
• American media: While “The New York Times” remained loyal to Title Case, online platforms like BuzzFeed shifted to sentence case, giving their titles a more casual tone.

Year	Media Using Title Case	Media Using Sentence Case
1980	95%	5%
2000	70%	30%
2020	40%	60%

How Have Changing Standards Affected Headline Perception?

Moving away from Title Case is not just a visual change but also a shift in how titles are perceived. Psychologists argue that sentence case facilitates faster reading, which matters when readers spend an average of only 8 seconds scanning a headline. On the other hand, Title Case requires more cognitive effort since each word begins with a capital letter, potentially slowing information processing.

A 2020 survey by the British Media Institute revealed:

• 65% of respondents found sentence case more approachable for online headlines.
• 52% of readers aged 18–34 preferred less formal titles on blogs and news websites.

An example is BuzzFeed, which has used sentence case for article headlines since 2010. Titles like “10 ways to make your day better” resonate more with younger audiences than the traditional “10 Ways to Make Your Day Better.”

Is This the End of Title Case?

Despite the trend of moving away from Title Case, some publications still use it to maintain prestige. For instance, The New York Times continues to use this style in its print headlines. Traditional Title Case headlines reflect the paper’s heritage and reinforce its credibility.

However, even these more conservative outlets are adapting to modern standards in the digital space. On “The New York Times” website, sentence case headlines are becoming increasingly common, signaling that change is inevitable.

Sources:

• "Chicago Manual of Style," University of Chicago Press, 1906.
• "Associated Press Stylebook," AP, 1953.
• "The Evolution of Headlines in Digital Media," British Media Institute, 2020.
• "Psychology of Readability: How Formatting Affects Attention," Journal of Cognitive Studies, 2019.