Gravestone Symbols and What They Mean

If you ever visited a cemetery, particularly an older one, you’ve likely noticed many different symbols and sculptures adorning graves.  What you may not know is that they all have a special meaning, standing as a last message to the world to tell a tale of the person lying beneath it.  

You may decide you want to have a specific symbol yourself, but which one will best tell your story?  Here we go through a list of more common symbols, both so you can have the consideration for your own tombstone and so you can better understand the messages left by those who have come before.  

Symbol	Name	What It Means
	Alpha and Omega	The Greek symbols for A and Z, Alpha and Omega are often used together to represent the totality of the power of Christ.
	American Flag	Patriotic symbol, often chosen for veterans and those involved in government and military.
	Anchor	Ancient symbol of safety, in the Christian religion a symbol of hope and steadfastness.
	Angel	Symbol of spirituality, messenger from God.
	Order of the Elks	Used by members of the Order of the Elks, the largest fraternal organization in the United States.
	Book	Can have multiple meanings, such as the Book of Life, the Bible, or can adorn the grave of scholars, theologians, and authors.
	Calla Lily	A Victorian era symbol of beauty, marriage, and resurrection.
	Celtic Cross	Represents eternity.
	Broken Column	Symbolizes a life cut short.
	Daughters of Rebekah	An auxiliary of the Order of the Oddfellows
	Dove	Represents a soul ascending to heaven
	Draped Urn	The shroud represents the veil between life and death.  The urn itself is said to be a symbol of immortality.
	Eastern Orthodox Cross	The Eastern Orthodox Cross is also referred to as the Russian, Ukraine, Slavic and Byzantine Cross.
	Hands – Pointing Finger	Symbolizes pointing to God if pointing up, or God pointing to the deceased if pointing down.  A symbol of eternal life.
	Horseshoe	Symbolizes protection from evil, but can also be used by someone who spent a lot of their life around horses.
	Ivy & Vines	Represents friendship, fidelity, and immortality
	Knights of Pythias	Symbols of the fraternal organization often include the letters F B C – which stand for friendship, benevolence and charity
	Laurel Wreath	represents victory, distinction, eternity or immortality.
	Lion	A guardian of the tomb from evil spirits, also used as a symbol of God.
	Oak Leaves & Acorns	signifies strength, honor, longevity and steadfastness.
	Olive Branch	Symbolizes that the soul has found peace resting with God.
	Sleeping Child	Like the lamb, this often adorns the graves of children.
	Sphinx	A popular symbol en vogue during the victorian era along with the obelisk.
	Square & Compass	A Masonic symbol of faith and reason. The letter G usually found in the center of the square and compass is said to represent “geometry” or “God.”
	Torch, Inverted	Symbolizes the extinguishing of life.
	Tree Trunk Tombstone	Symbolizes the brevity of life.
	Wheel	Represents the circle of life.
	Woodmen of the World	This symbol signifies membership in the Woodmen of the World fraternal organization.

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