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Updated August 24, 2022

Gravestones are more than a way to memorialize loved ones. They can also provide clues about your ancestors through symbolism on the tombstones.

Cemetery symbolism has existed for centuries, although the images have changed over time.

Some old gravestone symbols are easy to interpret, others not so much.

For example, crosses and angels are, of course, symbols of faith and connections to God. Hearts symbolize love.

Some designs stand for membership in organizations like the Freemasons. Flags can mark the graves of those who served in the military.

But what about acorns, shoes, or phoenixes?

In this article, I’m sharing some common gravestone symbols – and a few not so common ones – and their meanings.

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How to read common gravestone symbols

If you’ve visited a cemetery that had more decorative tombstones, you may be wondering what do the symbols mean on headstones?

Here are 16 common and uncommon headstone symbols and what they mean.

1) Beehive – Bees can represent Christianity and faith, and a beehive can be a symbol of people working for the Church.

granpic / John Collier. Pioneer. / (CC BY 2.0). No changes made.

2) Dog – Dogs signify loyalty and vigilance. On modern gravestones, a dog may be an homage to a pet.

John Lester / dog tombstone / (CC BY 2.0). No changes made.

3) Lamb – A lamb stands for gentleness and innocence. This motif is very common on children’s graves.

Melissa Wiese / Baby Richards color/ (CC BY 2.0). No changes made.

4) Phoenix – A phoenix symbolizes resurrection and transformation. The phoenix has been used in Christian cemetery art as early as the first century A.D.

Martyn Gorman / Phoenix tombstone, Fyvie Kirkyard / (CC BY-SA 2.0). No changes made.

5) Book - Books often symbolize the Bible, but can also represent wisdom, knowledge, the deeds of the deceased, prayer, or that the deceased was a scholar. A closed book can signify a completed life, while an open book can mean a life cut short.

Leonard J Matthews / Open Book / (CC BY-ND 2.0). No changes made.

6) Draped urn – A draped urn is a very common symbol on gravestones, especially popular in the 19th century. Drapery is a symbol of mourning and the separation of life and death. The urn itself is a symbol of death, representing ashes. Drapery is commonly found with urns.

Rosser1954 / Gravestone symbolism with a draped urn, St Columba's, Stewarton, East Ayrshire / (CC BY-SA 4.0). No changes made.

7) Hourglass – An hourglass signifies time and the inevitability of death. It reminds us that time is passing.

Walter Baxter / Gravestone detail at Channelkirk Churchyard / (CC BY-SA 2.0) No changes made. 

8) Broken chain – A broken chain signifies the death of a family member, and that the family has been broken.

Orin Zebest / The Chain is Broken / (CC BY-SA 2.0). No changes made.

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9) Lily of the valley – This flower represents innocence and purity, renewal and resurrection. 

Sean / Lily of the Valley / (CC BY-ND 2.0). No changes made.

10) Clasped hands – A handshake, or clasped hands, means a final farewell to the deceased, or God welcoming them into heaven. If one of the hands is a woman’s, as shown by the sleeves, it represents a marriage.

Mike Ball / Handclasp close / (CC BY 2.0). No changes made.

11) Weeping willow – A weeping willow signifies sadness and grief, but also immortality. This imagery was very popular in the Victorian era.

Nikoretro / Comfort Wantland / (CC BY-SA 2.0). No changes made.

12) Acorn – Acorns stand for strength, prosperity, and fruitfulness.

Valerie Everett / The acorn / (CC BY-SA 2.0). No changes made.

13) Wheat – The wheat sheaf symbolizes a long life and prosperity. Wheat is also a popular Masonic symbol.

Sean / Shafts of Wheat / (CC BY-ND 2.0). No changes made.

14) Empty shoes – Empty shoes embody the loss of a child.

NatalieMaynor / Baby Shoes / (CC BY 2.0) No changes made.

15) Rose – The rose symbolizes love, beauty, or hope. Rosebuds or partial blooms usually indicate a child or teenager. The fuller the rose, the longer the life. In the Victorian period, it was a common motif for women’s graves.

Rosser1954 / Rose symbolism on gravestone, St Columba's, Stewarton, East Ayrshire, Scotland / (CC BY-SA 4.0). No changes made.

16) Crying/shrouded woman – A shrouded or crying women represents grief and mourning.

Globetrotter 19 / Calvary, crying woman, 2018 Dombóvár / (CC BY-SA 3.0). No changes made.

Final thoughts 

You can find many different symbols in cemeteries than I can share in this post. There are many more, all just as interesting and lovely.  

We may never truly know the significance of why they were selected for a tombstone, but we can still appreciate their beauty.  

Have you ever found artwork on your ancestors’ gravestones? What’s the most interesting or unusual symbol you’ve ever found in a cemetery?

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