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CSS fonts should be based on a generic font family to ensure an appropriate style font is rendered in any circumstances. Preferred font names should be declared in order of preference in a comma separated font family list tailored for specific platforms.

CSS font family: serif

Serif fonts tend to have a relatively narrow, upright shape with distinctive serifs across the end of the letter strokes. Serif font faces are generally considered to have a classic, formal, businesslike font style that is reliable for the Web. Use the CSS font family name serif.

The most common serif fonts

The only serif fonts common to all systems are the ubiquitous Times New Roman and Georgia, although its frequency on Unix family operating systems is quite low. The original Times font on which Times New Roman is based is common to Mac and Unix family systems.

Palatino is found on Mac and to a lesser extent Unix systems and is the inspiration for Book Antiqua, which is quite common on Windows. Garamond is available on Windows and Mac systems, but is not very common on either.

As their names suggest, New Century Schoolbook for Mac, Century Schoolbook for Windows and Century Schoolbook L for Unix family systems have a common style. Also, Bookman for Mac, Bookman Old Style for Windows and URW Bookman L have a common heritage.

Take the Linux font survey before you go

Check font coverage by Unicode range

Tables show coverage for the specified range, some fonts may not be listed despite having coverage as Unicode data is added to the survey.

Filter serif fonts by Unicode range

Unicode range data compiled with reference to Alan Wood's Unicode Resources.

Most common serif fonts on Windows to 17 December 2011
Font name Installed (%) Stack Image
Times New Roman99.69%99.69%StackImage
Georgia99.48%99.48%StackImage
Palatino Linotype99.42%99.42%StackImage
Sylfaen97.80%97.80%StackImage
Garamond86.53%86.53%StackImage
Book Antiqua86.27%86.27%StackImage
Bookman Old Style86.01%86.01%StackImage
Cambria85.69%85.69%StackImage
Cambria Math85.32%85.32%Stack
Constantia85.32%85.32%StackImage
Lucida Bright78.25%78.25%Stack
MS Mincho78.25%78.25%Stack
Microsoft Himalaya68.71%68.71%Stack
MingLiU-ExtB68.32%68.32%Stack
MingLiU_HKSCS68.32%68.32%Stack
MingLiU_HKSCS-ExtB68.32%68.32%Stack
PMingLiU-ExtB68.32%68.32%Stack
MoolBoran68.12%68.12%Stack
SimSun-ExtB68.12%68.12%Stack
Microsoft Uighur67.92%67.92%Stack
DFKai-SB67.72%67.72%Stack
KaiTi67.52%67.52%Stack
FangSong67.33%67.33%Stack
Perpetua67.30%67.30%StackImage
Rockwell66.77%66.77%StackImage
Batang62.84%62.84%Stack
SimSun62.26%62.26%Stack
Onyx62.00%62.00%Stack
Footlight MT Light61.95%61.95%StackImage
Baskerville Old Face61.84%61.84%Stack
Bell MT61.58%61.58%Stack
Californian FB61.27%61.27%Stack
High Tower Text61.22%61.22%Stack
Centaur61.16%61.16%Stack
Niagara Solid61.06%61.06%Stack
Niagara Engraved61.01%61.01%Stack
Iskoola Pota60.37%60.37%Stack
DaunPenh60.09%60.09%Stack
Arabic Typesetting60.00%60.00%Stack
Nyala60.00%60.00%Stack
Bodoni MT Poster Compressed59.80%59.80%Stack
PMingLiU59.22%59.22%Stack
Aparajita59.21%59.21%Stack
Calisto MT59.17%59.17%StackImage
Century Schoolbook59.17%59.17%StackImage
Goudy Old Style58.91%58.91%StackImage
Lucida Fax58.91%58.91%Stack
Rockwell Condensed58.12%58.12%Stack
Gloucester MT Extra Condensed57.65%57.65%Stack
MingLiU57.44%57.44%Stack
MS PMincho57.34%57.34%Stack
BatangChe57.29%57.29%Stack
NSimSun57.18%57.18%Stack
Bodoni MT56.87%56.87%Stack
Bodoni MT Black56.71%56.71%Stack
Bodoni MT Condensed56.66%56.66%Stack
DejaVu Serif35.19%35.19%Stack
DejaVu Serif Condensed34.94%34.94%Stack
Bitstream Vera Serif10.95%10.95%Stack
University Roman LET6.55%6.55%Stack
Palatino4.66%4.66%Stack
Times4.66%4.66%Stack
New Century Schoolbook4.25%4.25%Stack
Georgia Ref3.14%3.14%Stack
MS Reference Serif3.04%3.04%Stack
Runic MT Condensed2.31%2.31%Stack
Gentium1.52%1.52%Stack
New York1.36%1.36%Stack
Hoefler Text0.89%0.89%Stack
Minion Web0.58%0.58%Stack
FreeSerif0.51%0.51%Stack
Linux Libertine O0.25%0.25%Stack
MgOpen Canonica0.25%0.25%Stack
Most common serif fonts on Mac to 17 December 2011
Font name Installed (%) Stack Image
Lucida Bright99.68%99.68%Stack
Times99.37%99.37%StackImage
Georgia97.63%97.63%StackImage
Times New Roman97.63%97.63%StackImage
Baskerville94.46%94.46%StackImage
American Typewriter94.15%94.15%StackImage
Didot94.15%94.15%StackImage
Big Caslon93.51%93.51%StackImage
Hoefler Text93.51%93.51%StackImage
Hiragino Mincho ProN91.40%91.40%Stack
Palatino86.23%86.23%StackImage
Kokonor79.64%79.64%Stack
Kailasa79.19%79.19%Stack
PCMyungjo73.24%73.24%Stack
MS Mincho66.34%66.34%Stack
MS PMincho66.34%66.34%Stack
GungSeo65.61%65.61%Stack
Adobe Ming Std56.11%56.11%Stack
Adobe Myungjo Std56.11%56.11%Stack
Adobe Song Std55.88%55.88%Stack
Adobe Fangsong Std55.43%55.43%Stack
Garamond54.91%54.91%Stack
Book Antiqua53.96%53.96%Stack
Century Schoolbook53.96%53.96%Stack
Bookman Old Style53.80%53.80%Stack
Goudy Old Style52.53%52.53%Stack
Calisto MT51.74%51.74%Stack
Footlight MT Light51.74%51.74%Stack
Adobe Hebrew43.82%43.82%Stack
Kozuka Mincho Pr6N43.82%43.82%Stack
Cambria40.82%40.82%Stack
Constantia39.87%39.87%Stack
Bitstream Vera Serif6.01%6.01%Stack
New York5.22%5.22%StackImage
Bembo4.24%4.24%Stack
Bernhard Modern Std3.18%3.18%Stack
Minion Std3.00%3.00%Stack
Gentium2.97%2.97%Stack
ITC Century2.47%2.47%Stack
Sabon2.35%2.35%Stack
New Century Schoolbook2.22%2.22%Stack
Berkeley2.06%2.06%Stack
Times CY2.06%2.06%Stack
Bookman1.90%1.90%StackImage
Archer1.76%1.76%Stack
BauerBodoni1.76%1.76%Stack
Utopia1.58%1.58%Stack
Minion Web1.42%1.42%Stack
Belwe1.24%1.24%Stack
Caslon0.95%0.95%Stack
URW Antiqua T0.63%0.63%Stack
Most common serif fonts on Linux to 17 December 2011
Font name Installed (%) Stack Image
Century Schoolbook L99.28%99.28%StackImage
URW Bookman L98.81%98.81%StackImage
URW Palladio L98.57%98.57%StackImage
Nimbus Roman No9 L98.33%98.33%StackImage
DejaVu Serif97.37%97.37%StackImage
Bitstream Charter92.36%92.36%StackImage
DejaVu Serif Condensed91.17%91.17%Stack
Liberation Serif86.63%86.63%Stack
FreeSerif83.29%83.29%StackImage
Georgia69.45%69.45%Stack
Times New Roman69.21%69.21%Stack
UnBatang68.54%68.54%Stack
Lucida Bright56.56%56.56%StackImage
Bitstream Vera Serif44.15%44.15%StackImage
Gentium37.39%37.39%Stack
Utopia24.82%24.82%StackImage
Luxi Serif18.62%18.62%StackImage
MgOpen Canonica15.51%15.51%Stack
AR PL UMing CN12.92%12.92%Stack
AR PL UMing HK12.92%12.92%Stack
AR PL UMing TW12.92%12.92%Stack
AR PL UMing TW MBE12.92%12.92%Stack
Linux Libertine O9.57%9.57%Stack
Linux Libertine8.33%8.33%Stack
AlBattar8.03%8.03%Stack
Granada8.03%8.03%Stack
Japan8.03%8.03%Stack
Jet8.03%8.03%Stack
Mashq8.03%8.03%Stack
Mashq-Bold8.03%8.03%Stack
Nada8.03%8.03%Stack
Ostorah8.03%8.03%Stack
Petra8.03%8.03%Stack
Rehan8.03%8.03%Stack
DejaVu LGC Serif6.55%6.55%Stack
DejaVu LGC Serif Condensed6.55%6.55%Stack
Garamond5.40%5.40%Stack
Caslon4.37%4.37%Stack
Times0.72%0.72%StackImage
Palatino0.51%0.51%Stack
LucidaBright0.48%0.48%Stack
New Century Schoolbook0.48%0.48%StackImage
Bookman0.26%0.26%Stack

Take the Linux font survey before you go

Check font coverage by Unicode range

Tables show coverage for the specified range, some fonts may not be listed despite having coverage as Unicode data is added to the survey.

Filter serif fonts by Unicode range

Unicode range data compiled with reference to Alan Wood's Unicode Resources.

Web font classification

Other CSS font family resources

Web font survey and sampler

Contribute to the survey and discover the new Web safe fonts.

Web font foundations

Font jargon: CSS font family glossary

Find fonts: Anchor Points: Font foundries & sources

Get the sampler font code: Sampler.css

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