The ampersand (&) originated as a ligature of E and T in Renaissance Latin. It has had several different forms:

Forms A, B, C, D, and I were used in Italian manuscripts freely, often in the middle of words, e.g. p&ere ( = petere). Forms G, H, and J are from modern typefaces but credibly represent intermediate or variant forms that might have existed at some point in the Humanist canon. Forms E and F are merely elaborations of D from Caslon, but serve to illustrate the typical evolution of Rococo ornamentation that Italic text often attracts.

K is the Tironian note for "et." It hangs from the top of minuscule letters, and its tail usually descends below the baseline. This abbreviation survives in Ireland to the modern day and is sometimes seen on road signs there. Form N is widely attested after the rest of the Tironian notes ceased to be used, although strictly it is not well-formed, as this form merely signifies the letter "T" on its own in Tiro's scheme. Forms L and M are modern typographic renderings from medievalist typefaces and are of dubious historical accuracy.

The name "ampersand" is an exclusively English one; during the 19th century it was fashionable to teach that form I was the twenty-seventh letter of the alphabet, and so recitations of the alphabet ended in "X, Y, Z, and, per se, and."

It is considered incorrect to call the Tironian "et" an ampersand.