Tombstone Symbols

Churchyards, graveyards and cemeteries have a story to tell about the dead buried in them. The symbols carved into the tombstones, mausoleums, tombs and gravestones, represent the deceased’s life including their journey, beliefs and occupations. Some monuments include elaborate symbolism, also known as funerary art that unlock the secret lives of those buried.

The list below is a collection of headstone symbols commonly found in churchyards, graveyards and cemeteries. A brief interpretation of the tombstone symbol is offered.

Funerary Art and Symbols

Acacia	immortality of soul
Acanthus	heavenly garden. One of the oldest cemetery motifs, acanthus is associated with the rocky ground where most ancient Greek cemeteries were placed. It is the most common motif found on memorials.
Anchor	Steadfast Hope
Anchors	Hope or Seafaring profession
Ants	Christian Industry
Arches	Victory in Death, Rejoined with partner in Heaven, Victory of life, victory in death
Arms outstretched	the plea for mercy
Arrows	Mortality
Bamboo	the emblem of Buddha. The seven-knotted bamboo denotes the seven degrees of initiation and invocation in Buddhism. On Japanese memorials, symbolic of devotion and truthfulness.
Bible	Deceased teacher, minister, etc
Birds	The soul
Bleeding	Christ's suffering for our sins.
Broken Column	Loss of head of family, Early death
Broken Ring	Family circle severed
Broken Sword	Life cut short
Bugles	Military
Buttercup	cheerfulness.
Butterfly	Short-lived; early death
Calla Lily	symbolizes marriage.
Candle being snuffed	Time, Mortality
Chains	Medieval thinkers sometimes held that a golden chain bound the soul to the body. Broken links on a headstone can mean the severance and subsequent release of the spirit from the body. Chains are also the insignia of the International Order of Odd Fellows, so called because of their dedication to giving the poor decent burials. This association can be clinched by the observation of the letters IOOF or FLT (Friendship, Love, Truth) either inside or near the chain.
Chalice	sacraments
Cherub	Angelic, devine wisdom, justice
Cinquefoil	maternal affection, beloved daughter
Circle	perfection or eternity in the after world, life everlasting
Column	Noble life
Compass and Square	Masonic emblems
Conch Shell	Wisdom
Corn	Ripe old age
Corn (Garbe)	it was a country custom to send a sheaf to relatives on the death of a farmer. It may be used as an occupational symbol
Crocus	youthful gladness
Cross	Symbol of Christian Hope
Cross and Anchor	another early Christian symbol referring to Christ as "hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sincere and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:19).
Cross, anchor and Bible	Trials, vicotry and reward
Crossed Swords	Officer in the military, life lost in battle
Crown	Reward and glory, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, symbolic of honor or glory, glory of life after death. May be shown being offered to those on Earth by Angels.Crown on a cross - sovereignty of the Lord
Cypress tree	designates hope
Daffodil	death of youth, desire, art, grace, beauty, deep regard
Daisy	innocence of child, Jesus the Infant, youth, the Son of righteousness, gentleness, purity of thought
Darts	Mortality
Dead Leaves	sadness, melancholy
Dogwood	Christianity, divine sacrifice, triumph of eternal life, resurrection; Signifying the loyalty and that the Master was worth loving; Christianity, divine sacrifice, triumph of eternal life, resurrection
Dolphin	Salvation, bearer of souls to Heaven; portrays the idea of resurrection
Dove	Purity, love and Holy Spirit
Doves	The soul,, purity, innocence, gentleness
Dragon	being defeated by St. George depicts triumph over sin
Encircled with thorns	the suffering of Christ.
Evergreen	Eternal life
Eye of God / All Seeing Eye	The Eye of God or the All-Seeing Eye symbolizes the all-knowing and ever-present God. During the Renaissance period in Europe, it was common to illustrate the Eye of God surrounded by a triangle (the Holy Trinity). The eye within the triangle, surrounded by a circle and radiating rays of light is used to symbolize the holiness of the true God.
Father Time	Mortality, The Grim Reaper
Fern	sincerity, sorrow
Figs, Pineapples	Prosperity, eternal life
Fish	indicates faith
Flame	eternity
Flaming	signifies extreme religious fervor
Fleur-de-lis	flame, passion, ardor, mother
Flower	Frailty of life
Flowers	Brevity of early existence, sorrow
Flying Birds	Flight of the soul
Frog	depicts sin and worldly pleasures, or may represent resurrection.
Fruits	Eternal Plenty
Full Bloom	normally in early/mid twenties. The deceased died in the prime of life
Garlands	Vicotry in death
Garlands	Vicotry in death
Gourds	Deliverance from grief
Grapes	represent Christ
Grapes with Leaves	Christian faith
Hand of God plucking a link of a chain	God bringing a soul unto himself.
Hand(s) of God Chopping	Sudden death
Hands	A relation or partnership
Hands holding	A chain with a broken link symbolizes the death of a family member.
Handshakes	Farewell to earthly existence
Harp	Praise to the Maker
Hart (male deer)	represented either faithfulness, thirsting for God, or Christ slaying Satan.
Hawthorn	hope, merriness, springtime
Heart	Love, mortality, love of God, courage and intelligence.
Heart	Devotion
Hearts	Blissfulness or love of Christ
Holly	foresight
Honeysuckle	bonds of love, generosity and devoted affection
Horse	Courage or generosity. An attribute of St. George, St. Martin, St. Maurice and St. Victor, all of whom are represented in Christian art on horseback.
Horseshoe	Protection against evil
Hourglass	Swiftness of time
Hourglass	Time and its swift flight
Hourglass with wings	Time Flying, short life
Ivy	Friendship, Immortality
Ivy	Faithfulness, memory, and undying friendship
Keys	Keys stand for spiritual knowledge or, if held in the hands of an angel or saint, the means to enter heaven.
Knot	The interlaced celtic knot represents reserection and life everlasting.
Labyrinth	The passage of life
Lalla	beauty, marriage
Lamb	Innocence
Lamb	Innocence
Lamb	This is the most common animal symbol found on a child's grave. The lamb appears throughout the ages with great regularity in Christian art and because it is a symbol of Christ: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" (Bible, John 1:29). The use of the lamb in religious art pre-dates Christianity and appears to have been used first by the Egyptians. It signifies purity and innocence. Christ in his sacrificial role and personifies: innocence, meekness, gentleness and humility.
Lamp	Knowledge, a love of learning, and the immortality of the Spirit.
Latin Cross	One of the oldest symbols of Christianity and the most commonly used form, it is also the simplest in design. In early times, it was called god's mark
Laurel	Fame, vicotry
Laurel	Victory
Laurel Leaves	Special achievement, distinction, success, triumph
Lily	Emblem of innocence and purity
Lily of the Valley	Emblem of innocence and purity
Lion	Symbolizes the power of God and guards the tomb against evil spirits. Like other guardians, the lion's watch is as eternal as the stone of which it is depicted. The lion also recalls the courage and determination of the souls which they guard, they manifest the spirit of the departed. Resurrection
Marigold	A large variety, called cempasuchitl, enjoys a special association with Mexico's Day of the Dead; mostly because of its availability in that season. Marigolds not only decorate the graves in the form of crosses and arches, but also form trails to lead the souls of the dead to a home altar set with their favorite foods, photos, and other pleasantries hard to obtain in the afterlife.
Mermaid	Dualism of Christ, Fully God, Fully man
Mistletoe	The marvelous ability of this parasite to sustain itself far above the ground lent to the Druidic belief that it was a sacred plant and an ingredient of immortality. The "golden bough" was used in animal sacrifices. The Norse God Balder lost his immortality when he was pierced by a mistletoe-tipped spear.
Morning Glory	Beginning of Life
Moss	merit
Mulberry	I will not survive you
Mystic Rose	Mother
Oak	Strength
Oake Leaves and Acorn	Maturity, Ripe old age
Olive Branch	Forgiveness, peace
Open Book	Deceased teacher, minister, etc
Owl	suggests wisdom
Palm	spiritual victory, success, eternal peace, a symbol of Christ's victory of death as associated with Easter.
Palm Branch	Signifies victory and rejoicing
Pansy	symbolizes remembrance and humility.
Partial Bloom	normally a teenager
Passion Flower	the elements of the passion of Christ: the lacy crownthe crown of thorns; the five stamensthe five wounds; the 10 petalsthe 10 faithful Apostles
Peacock	Eternal life
Peacock	symbolized the incorruptibility of flesh, resurrection, beauty of soul, immortality
Phoenix	symbolized the incorruptibility of flesh, resurrection, beauty of soul, immortality
Picks and Shovels	Mortality
Pierced by a sword	the Virgin Mary, harkening to Simeon's prophecy to Mary at the birth of Christ, "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul." It can also be used to represent charity. ` .
Pine	fertility, regeneration, fidelity
Pineapple	hospitality, good host
Poppy	Sleep
Portals	Passageway to eternal journey
Pyramid	Eternity. It was supposed that a pyramid-shaped tombstone prevented the devil from reclining on a grave.
Relect carved on a Woman's Headstone	She died a widow
Rod or staff	comfort
Rooster	Awakening, courage, vigilance
Rose in full bloom	Prime of life
Rosebud	Morning of life, renewal of life
Roses	Brevity of mortal life
Scroll	A symbol of life and time. Both ends rolled up indicates a life that is unfolding like a scroll of uncertain length and the past and future hidden. Often held by a hand representing life being recorded by angels. Can also suggest honor and commemoration.
Scroll	Symbol of life and time. Both ends rolled up indicates a life that is unfolding like a scroll of uncertain length and the past and future hidden. Often held by a hand representing life being recorded by angels. Can also suggest honor and commemoration.
Scythe	Death, the divine harvest
Serpent	shown swallowing its own tail it represents Eternity.
Shamrock	Ireland as country of origin
Shattered Urn	Old age, morning if draped
Sheaf of Wheat	Ripe for harvest, divine harvest time
Sheaves	The divine harvest, Often represents the aged
Shell	The use of shell in burials is pre-Christian in practice and pre-dates even Egyptian burial practices. Shell is symbolic of fertility, resurrection and pilgrimage. Shells, coins and small stones are the traditional objects left at grave sites. There are several meanings given to this act. It may be a symbolic referral to the ancient custom of burying the dead under a cairn of rocks to protect the body from scavenging animals, or a reminder that the individual is not forgotten.Scallop - symbol of the Crusades, pilgrim, pilgrim's journey, resurrection, life everlasting, connotes one's life journey. A symbol of birth and resurrection, a traditional symbol of the Puritans.
Shell	Birth and resurrection
Shells	Pilgrimage of life
Ship	Hope or Seafaring profession
Sickle	death as the "last harvest"
Skeleton	Life's brevity
Skull, Skeleton	Mortality, death
Snake in a circle	Everlasting life in Heaven
Sprouting	Life everlasting
Squirrel with a nut	religious meditation or spiritual striving.
Star	A five-pointed star is symbolic of the life of Christ and may also represent the five wounds of Christ.
Star	Stars stand for the spirit, piercing the darkness as an expression of their triumph against the overwhelming odds of oblivion. Five pointed stars represent the spirit rising to heaven.
Star of David	The God
Stars and stripes around Eagle	Eternal vigilance, liberty
Sun setting	Death
Sun Shining / rising	Renewed life
Suns	The Resurrection
Swallow	Motherhood
Swallow	indicates a child or motherhoodButterfly - The soul, Although quite rare, it is occasionally seen on graves (most often of children). It is symbolic of the resurrection of Christ. The meaning is derived from the three stages of the life of the butterflythe caterpillar, the chrysalis, and the butterfly. The three stages are symbols of life, death and resurrection. Short-life.
Swastika	Exact origin is unknown but it is considered one of the oldest and widespread symbols used. Commonly found on Buddhist memorials, it represents the seal of the Buddhas heart; the doctrine of Buddha; the round of existence. To the Chinese, the swastika had two forms symbolizing the male and female; clockwise and anti-clockwise. Also used by the Romans and later by the Nazi party in Germany during the Second World War.
The Eye of God surrounded by a triangle and a circle	symbolic of the eternity of the Holy Trinity.
Thistles	Remebrance
Tombs	Mortality
Torch	Eternal life if upturned, death if extinguished
Torch Inverted	Live Extinct
Tree Stump with Ivy	Head of Family, immortality
Tree trunk	The beauty of life
Trees	Life
Triangle	Truth, equality and the trinity
Trumpeters	Heralds of the resurrection
Urn	Greek symbol of mourning, the body as a vessel of the soul, originating as a repository for the ashes of the dead in ancient times - a popular symbol of mourning. Most represent an ossuary. In several examples an Angel is looking inside it as if to inspect the contents. A flame is sometimes shown coming from the Urn. They are often draped with a cloth or festooned with a wreath or garland. This fashion of Urn's persisted well into the 1850's at least.
Urn with Flame	Undying friendship
Urn with wreath or crepe	Mourning
Vine	The sacraments, God's blood, God
Weeping willow	Mourning, Grief
Wheat	resurrection, bread and wine (Christian), fertilityBushel - body of Christ
Willows	Emblem of sorrow
Winged Effigies	Flight of the soul
Winged Wheel	symbolized the holy spirit.
Woman hanging onto Cross	faith. Original drawing accompanied Rev. Topladys hymn "Rock of Ages." Also seen as woman clinging to pillar or anchor. Common motif on white bronze monuments and Masonic grave memorials.
Woman with or without Bible pointing upward	faith
Wreath of Rose	Beauty and virtue rewarded

A headstone is how people will remember you long after everyone you have know has passed. That being said MAKE IT GOOD! When done well, a headstone can provide a sense of one’s life style and personality.