Headstone Symbols and Markings: Their Meanings Explained

Last updated: September 14, 2026

Walk through a cemetery in the GTA and you will see them. A dove above a name. Clasped hands. A rose cut into the corner of a stone. Headstone markings and symbols are carved emblems, letters and pictures. Each stands for a faith, a bond, a heritage or a life. These headstone symbols are not decoration. Most carry a traditional meaning built up over generations, and some carry more than one. Families still use them to say what a name and two dates cannot. The rest of the stone usually tells you which reading applies.

This guide explains headstone symbols and markings, group by group. It runs from the doves and lambs on Victorian stones to the hockey sticks families choose today. Meanings shift by era, region, faith and family. The readings here are the common ones. On a new monument the meaning is the family’s to choose. Some pick a symbol for what it stands for, others because the person simply loved it. Use the table below to look a symbol up, or jump to a category. If you are planning a monument, it will help you pick a symbol that says what you want.

Jump to a category

• How symbols get onto a headstone
• Birds
• Animals
• Flowers
• Trees and plants
• Faith and religious symbols
• Hands and figures
• Classic and Victorian objects
• Sun, stars and nature
• Service, military and fraternal emblems
• Trades and professions
• Modern and personal emblems
• Letters and abbreviations
• Choosing a symbol for a monument
• Cemetery rules for symbols in the GTA
• Frequently asked questions

Headstone markings and symbols: quick reference table

How symbols get onto a headstone

How a symbol is cut depends on the kind of symbol. Our guide to monument engraving methods explains each method in depth. Here is the quick map. Bold outline emblems, such as a cross or a maple leaf, are sandblasted through a stencil. Names and dates are cut the same way. Flowers with soft depth, such as a rose or a calla lily, are shape carved. That is sandblasting in stages, so the petals look rounded. A centrepiece rose or a figure can be relief carved in true 3D. Fine line scenes and portraits are laser etched, which shows best on black granite. A monument often pairs one base method with one accent.

The same methods apply to the upright granite headstones and flat markers we supply. Common emblems are available as ready made artwork. The engraving artwork on this page comes from the same library our monument designer uses. A custom drawing can also be turned into a stencil.

Birds

Dove

Cardinal

Eagle

Sparrow

A sparrow on a headstone usually recalls a Bible verse about God’s care for the smallest life. The verse says not one sparrow falls to the ground outside the Father’s care. On a stone it says a quiet, ordinary life was watched over.

Owl

Swallow

Swan

A swan on a headstone usually stands for grace and a peaceful passing. The phrase swan song comes from an ancient belief that a swan sings once, just before it dies. Swans usually mate for life. The bird is also read as love and fidelity. On a companion stone it can honour a long marriage.

Hummingbird

Robin

A robin on a headstone usually means a loved one is near, or the coming of spring. British folklore has linked the robin with the dead for centuries. The saying itself is much more recent. In Canada the robin is also the sign of spring for most communities. Families choose whichever reading fits.

Peacock

A peacock on a headstone usually stands for immortality and resurrection. Early Christians took up an older idea that the bird’s flesh did not decay. That made it a sign of immortality, and it appears in early Christian paintings and mosaics. The gravestone symbol lists also read it as the beauty of the soul.

Loon

A loon on a headstone usually marks a life spent on the water, or a love of Ontario’s wilderness. The common loon has been Ontario’s provincial bird since 1994. The province ties its call to the beauty and solitude of the wilderness.

Many of these birds are ready made artwork you can place on a stone in our monument designer.

Animals

Lamb

Lion

A lion on a headstone usually stands for courage and bravery, and it guards the tomb. On older Jewish stones an animal can stand for the person’s name. A lion marks Aryeh, Judah or Leib. A deer marks Tzvi or Hirsch. A wolf marks Ze’ev and a bear marks Dov. A bird marks Tzipporah or Feige.

Deer

Butterfly

Dragonfly

A dragonfly on a headstone usually stands for change and transformation. The gravestone symbol lists also give it joy and lightness. Most of a dragonfly’s life is spent as a nymph under the water, before it rises into the air. The adult lives only a few weeks, a quiet note on how brief life can be.

Horse

A horse on a headstone usually honours a rider, a breeder or a farm family. The gravestone symbol lists read it as courage or generosity. Today the meaning is mostly personal: someone who rode, or a life built around horses. A horseshoe on its own can mark the same thing.

Paw print

A paw print on a headstone usually stands for a loved companion and loyalty. It appears often on pet memorials. It also goes on a family stone as a nod to an animal lover. The message is plain: a loyal companion was loved and is remembered.

Fish

A fish on a headstone usually stands for Christian faith, or for an angler. The gravestone symbol lists read it as faith and spiritual nourishment. The faith sign and its history are under Ichthys fish. A leaping fish, a rod or a boat marks the angler; see Fishing rod and reel.

Flowers

Rose

Rosebud on a broken stem

A rosebud on a broken stem marks a life cut short, usually a child or a young person. The bud never opened. The break in the stem is deliberate. The same Ontario study lists flower buds among the preferred decorations.

Lily

Calla lily

Dogwood

A dogwood on a headstone usually carries a Christian reading of sacrifice and resurrection. The flower is easy to spot: four white bracts, often notched at the tip, around a small centre cluster. It is also simply a spring flower. The cardinal in the Birds section sits on a dogwood branch.

Daisy

Poppy

A poppy on a Canadian headstone usually means remembrance of military service. The tradition comes from In Flanders Fields, the 1915 poem by Canadian doctor John McCrae. On older stones a poppy can also mean eternal sleep. The Remembrance poppy image is a registered trademark of the Royal Canadian Legion. The Legion sells a cast poppy marker made to fix onto a veteran’s headstone. Before a poppy is carved into a monument, ask the Legion; see the Royal Canadian Legion entry.

Forget me not

A forget me not on a headstone usually stands for remembrance and true love. The name says it plainly. This small blue flower asks the living to keep the memory alive. In the Victorian language of flowers its meaning was true love, forget me not. On a headstone it is a quiet promise. You are not forgotten.

Tulip

Sunflower

A sunflower on a headstone usually stands for a life fulfilled, or for steadfast faith. Young sunflowers turn to follow the sun, and that habit gave the symbol its meaning. Mature heads stop moving and face east. In the Catholic tradition the sunflower stands for devotion to the Church. In the language of flowers the dwarf sunflower means adoration.

Violet

A violet on a headstone usually stands for modesty and humility. The flower grows low and half hidden, and older references read that as quiet virtue. In the Victorian language of flowers the sweet violet meant modesty and the blue violet meant faithfulness.

Morning glory

A morning glory on a headstone usually stands for the brevity of life, and also for resurrection. The flower opens at dawn and closes by afternoon, and mourners read a short life into that cycle. Because it returns fresh each morning, the same vine can mean resurrection and the beginning of life. The rest of the stone tells you which applies.

Thistle

Shamrock

Fleur de lis

On a Canadian headstone a fleur de lis usually marks French heritage. The shape is a stylized lily, though some read it as an iris. It is on the flag of Quebec and remains a sign of French Canadian identity. In Christian tradition it is also linked with the Virgin Mary. Older cemetery symbol lists read it as flame, passion and motherhood.

Trillium

A trillium on a headstone usually says this person belonged to Ontario. The white trillium has been the province’s official flower since 1937. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario says its white blossom is associated with peace and hope. Three white petals sit over three leaves, and it blooms in early spring. The reading suits any faith or none.

Trees and plants

Weeping willow

Oak leaves and acorns

Tree of life

A tree of life on a headstone usually stands for eternal life, and for family. Its roots reach down for the ancestors and its branches reach up for the generations that follow. Cemetery references read it as immortality and as both earthly and heavenly life. On a family stone it honours deep roots.

Ivy

Wheat

A sheaf of wheat on a headstone usually marks a long life, gathered in its season. Older symbol lists read it as old age and a fruitful life. It can also honour a working life finished well. In Christian symbolism wheat recalls the bread of the Eucharist and the promise of resurrection.

Grape vine

A grape vine on a headstone usually carries a Christian reading. In John 15 Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches”. Symbol lists read grapes as sacrifice, and as life and immortality. In Jewish tradition the vine means peace and abundance. A family monument on our headstone types page has grape vine corners beside a cross.

Maple leaf

A maple leaf on a headstone usually marks a Canadian life. At Seaford in England, the War Graves Commission describes Canadian graves as maple leaf upon maple leaf carved in stone. On civilian stones it is a quieter statement of identity and home. Older symbol lists also read it as long life.

Evergreen

Palm branch

A palm branch on a headstone usually stands for victory over death. In early Christian art it stood for the spirit’s triumph, and it still carries that reading. The same art also uses it to mark a martyr. In the Kabbalah the palm stands for the righteous man.

Olive branch

Laurel wreath

Faith and religious symbols

Latin cross

Celtic cross

A Celtic cross on a headstone usually stands for eternity and for Celtic heritage. The circle is most often read as eternity, or as a halo. The form goes back more than a thousand years in Ireland and Scotland. The ringed cross as a whole monument, with or without knotwork, is shown on our cross headstones page.

Greek cross

A Greek cross on a headstone is a Christian mark with four equal arms. It is one of the oldest cross forms, in common use by the fourth century. On Orthodox stones it may carry the letters IC XC NI KA around the arms. That is Greek for Jesus Christ conquers. Greek Orthodox families more often choose a budded cross monument, shown on our cross headstones page.

Orthodox three bar cross

A three bar cross usually marks an Eastern Christian burial. The top bar is the sign above Christ’s head. The slanted bar was the footrest. Its tilt rises toward heaven on Christ’s right, toward the repentant thief, and falls on his left. Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox families use it. Serbian and other Slavic Orthodox families do too. So do Ukrainian Catholics. The monument form is on our Orthodox cross monuments page.

Armenian cross

An Armenian cross on a headstone usually marks a family of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It combines a cross with plant or floral elements. The centre often holds a sunburst rather than the figure of Christ. The khachkar, the carved cross stone of that tradition, is described on our cross headstones page.

Crucifix

Praying hands with rosary

Sacred Heart

Madonna

Face of Christ

A face of Christ on a headstone is a Christian devotional image used across denominations. Catholics also honour the Holy Face as a devotion of its own. That devotion grew from the tradition of Veronica’s veil and was approved in the 1800s. The modern Holy Face medal uses the face on the Shroud of Turin. Some believe the shroud to be the burial cloth of Jesus. Families choose the image as they would a Madonna or a saint.

Pieta

A Pieta on a headstone shows Mary cradling the body of Jesus after the descent from the cross. The name is Italian for pity or compassion. It is a subject of Christian art with a long history, and Catholic families choose it as a devotion. The image speaks of a mother’s grief, which is why it suits a memorial.

Saints

A saint on a headstone reflects the patron saint or personal devotion of the person or family. That is how one Catholic cemetery describes them. Saint Anthony of Padua is shown holding the child Jesus and a lily. Padre Pio is an Italian Capuchin friar and saint. Saint Francis of Assisi is often shown with a bird in his hand.

IHS monogram

IHS on a headstone stands for the name of Jesus and marks a Christian grave. The three letters are the first three of the name Jesus in Greek. Carvers have used the monogram since the Middle Ages. It often sits inside a sunburst or on a small shield. A later reading treats it as Latin for Jesus, Saviour of Mankind.

Alpha and Omega

Chi Rho

The Chi Rho on a headstone is an early monogram of Christ. It overlays the first two Greek letters of the word Christ. It looks like the letter P with an X through its stem. Early Christians used it, and it is linked to the Roman Emperor Constantine, who used it as a military sign.

Ichthys fish

A fish outline on a headstone is a quiet sign of Christian faith. The Greek word for fish is ichthys. Each of its letters begins a word in the phrase Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour. Early Christians used it when open worship was dangerous. A leaping fish or a rod marks an angler instead; see Fishing rod and reel.

Open Bible

Star of David

A Star of David on a headstone marks a Jewish burial. Two overlapping triangles form the star, one of the most widely recognized signs of Jewish identity. In Hebrew it is the Magen David, the shield of David. On older Jewish stones an animal can stand for a name; see the Lion entry.

Hebrew abbreviations

Hebrew abbreviations on a Jewish headstone are markings rather than symbols, and most stones carry two. At the top, two letters stand for here lies. At the bottom, five letters paraphrase 1 Samuel 25:29. They mean may the soul be bound up in the bond of life. On most stones the English reads the bond of eternal life. The full table is in the letters section below.

Hands of the Kohanim (Priestly Blessing)

Levite pitcher

A pitcher on a Jewish headstone marks a Levite, a descendant of the tribe of Levi. Levites assisted the priests in the ancient Temple, and one duty was to wash the priests’ hands. So the stone shows a jug or ewer, sometimes pouring water into a basin. It is common in Ashkenazi cemeteries and pairs with the hands of the Kohanim above.

Menorah

A menorah on a headstone stands for the divine presence and marks a Jewish grave. Seven branches rise from a single stem, recalling the great lamp of the Temple in Jerusalem. It is older than the Star of David as a Jewish symbol. Candlesticks or a candelabra often mark a woman’s grave. They honour the Sabbath candles she lit.

Crescent and star

Khanda

A Khanda on a memorial is the Sikh faith’s emblem. A double edged sword stands inside the chakkar, a circle. Two kirpans cross at the base and rise either side. Sikhs cremate, and their code of conduct calls a monument at the cremation site taboo. The other Sikh mark is Ik Onkar, the opening words of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Om

Om on a memorial marks a Hindu family, though Jains and some Buddhists use the syllable too. The Sikh Ik Onkar is a different word and a different mark; see the Khanda entry. Om stands for the supreme reality, a sound Hindus treat as divine. Hindu funerals usually involve cremation, and by tradition the ashes go to a river or the sea. So families may want it on an engraved urn or a niche front rather than a grave.

Dharma wheel

A dharma wheel on a memorial marks a Buddhist family. The common form has eight spokes, read as the steps of the Noble Eightfold Path. Wheels with four or many spokes carry other readings. It is one of the auspicious signs of Buddhism and of Hindu tradition. Buddhists are often cremated. So the wheel may appear on an urn or a niche front rather than a grave.

Symbols from other traditions. Chinese monuments carry their own carved motifs, including bamboo, lotus, pine, plum and the paired dragon and phoenix. We cover those carvings on our Chinese headstones page.

Indigenous symbols. First Nations, Metis and Inuit families may mark a stone with a symbol of their own. It may belong to a nation or a clan rather than to one person. Those meanings are the community’s to give, so this guide does not list them. A family that brings such a design decides how it is shown.

Hands and figures

Clasped hands

Hand pointing up

A hand pointing up on a headstone says the soul has risen to heaven. Gravestone scholars read it as the reward of the righteous, a confirmation of life after death. It was a message of hope, common on stones of the 1800s. Often it sits at the top of the stone, above the name panel.

Hand pointing down

A hand pointing down on a headstone can mark a sudden death, or God reaching down for the soul. It looks like a bad omen, but it is not a judgment. Gravestone scholars give both readings. Carvers sometimes show the hand coming out of a cloud. Either way it marks a calling home, not a casting out.

Angel

Cherub

A cherub on a headstone usually marks a child’s grave. The small winged figure stands for innocence and for a soul taken early. Victorian carvers used it often. Look for a calm face above folded wings. Some hold flowers or a small trumpet.

Classic and Victorian objects

Anchor

An anchor on a headstone usually stands for hope and steady faith. Early Christians used it as a disguised cross. On older stones it can also mark a sailor or a life spent at sea. Both readings are common, so the rest of the stone usually tells you which one applies.

Broken column

A broken column on a headstone usually stands for a life cut short. Victorian families used it for someone who died in the prime of life. Some references also read it as the loss of the head of the family. The break is deliberate, carved to look snapped rather than worn.

Draped urn

A draped urn on a headstone usually stands for mourning and the body left behind. Some lists read the urn as the soul and the drape as a final curtain. It was a popular carving from the early 1800s into the Victorian era. For whole monuments of that era, see the Victorian section of our famous graves archive.

Winged hourglass

A winged hourglass on a headstone usually means that time flies and life is brief. The sand runs out, and the wings carry the hours away. Older stones used it as a reminder of mortality, that death comes for everyone. It reads as grim now, but on older stones it was an honest statement.

Gates of heaven

Gates on a headstone usually stand for the soul entering heaven. Carvers show them slightly open, so the soul is welcomed rather than shut out. The carving is also called the gates ajar, after an 1868 novel of that name. The book pictured heaven’s gates as never fully closed. Look for it on stones from the later 1800s.

Candle

Inverted torch

An inverted torch on a headstone usually stands for a life that has ended. Upright, the torch means life. Turned down, it means death. If the flame still burns, the soul lives on beyond death. The image is often traced back to Roman times.

Crown

A crown on a headstone usually stands for victory over death and the reward of a faithful life. In Christian tradition it recalls the crown of righteousness promised to believers. Older lists also read it as glory and honour, or the life after death.

Harp

Scroll

A scroll on a headstone usually stands for a life and the time it was given. Older symbol lists call it a sign of life and time. With both ends rolled, it reads as a life still unfolding, its full length unknown. Neither the beginning nor the end is shown.

Lamp

A lamp on a headstone usually stands for knowledge and the lasting light of the spirit. Older lists read it as a love of learning and the immortality of the spirit. On a modern stone it names a teacher or a scholar; see Lamp of knowledge under Trades and professions.

Broken chain

A broken chain on a headstone usually marks a death in the family, one link removed. An older reading comes from a medieval idea that a chain bound the soul to the body. There the broken link means the spirit set free. Do not confuse it with the unbroken three link chain of the Odd Fellows, a fraternal order.

Wedding rings

Heart

Bell

Ship

Lighthouse

Sun, stars and nature

Rising sun

A rising sun on a headstone usually stands for renewed life and resurrection. In Christian tradition it marks the hope of a new day beyond this one. Older symbol lists give it the readings of resurrection, rebirth, and eternal life. A half sun on the horizon can also be read as setting, see the next entry.

Setting sun

Moon and stars

A moon and stars on a headstone usually stand for rebirth and the spirit shining in the dark. Older symbol lists read the moon as death and rebirth. They read stars as the spirit piercing the darkness, or as divine guidance. On a modern stone the pairing can appear as a night sky scene.

Single star

A single star on a headstone usually stands for the spirit and for divine guidance. Older lists read it as the spirit piercing the darkness, or as enlightenment and wisdom. Some also give it eternity and immortality. It is a small, quiet mark that says a light still shines.

Clouds

Clouds on a headstone usually stand for heaven and the veil between the living and God. Older lists call them the veil that conceals God from his worshippers. On some older stones a hand reaches out from a cloud. For that hand’s readings, see the hand pointing down entry.

Rainbow

A rainbow on a headstone usually stands for hope and the promise of resurrection. The reading comes from the flood story, where the rainbow is the sign of a covenant. Older symbol lists read it as union and the fulfilment of that promise. Some families choose it in a personal sense, and their meaning is the one it holds.

Mountains

Mountains on a headstone usually mark a place the person loved or a life spent outdoors. They are a personal emblem, and the meaning is the family’s.

Waves

Waves on a headstone usually mark a life spent on or near the water. They are a personal emblem, and the meaning is the family’s. Monument companies say families choose such scenes because the place had a special meaning. A sailor, a swimmer, or a cottage on the lake can all sit behind the choice.

Service, military and fraternal emblems

These emblems mark membership or service. They belong to the people who earned them. Use a lodge, order or unit badge only for a member or a veteran of that body. Check your cemetery’s rules before choosing one.

Masonic square and compasses

A square and compasses on a headstone mark a member of a Masonic lodge. The letter G often sits at the centre. In Masonic teaching the square means honest dealing, the compasses restraint. Both began as builders’ tools, but on a stone they mark a Mason, not a builder. A carpenter’s stone uses trade tools instead; see Trades and professions.

Order of the Eastern Star

A five pointed star with one point down marks a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. It is a Masonic body open to women and men. Each coloured point recalls a Bible heroine and her virtue. This point down star, with the altar at its centre, is the order’s own emblem. It is not an occult sign.

Odd Fellows three links

Three links of a chain on a headstone mark a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The links carry the letters F L T, one in each link, for friendship, love and truth. The order is a fraternal benefit society with a grand lodge in Ontario. The links stand for members bound to each other and to those values.

Knights of Columbus emblem

A shield on a cross marks a member of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic order founded in 1882. On the shield sit an anchor, a short sword and a bundle of bound rods. The order began as a mutual benefit society for working class Catholics. The emblem marks membership, so it belongs on a member’s stone only.

Aviation wings

Wings on a headstone usually mark a pilot or aircrew. A winged badge with a crown and wreath usually marks military service, such as an RCAF pilot’s badge. Simpler wings mark a civilian pilot or a lifelong love of flight. Some families add a small aircraft instead. The meaning stays the same. A life spent in the air.

Firefighter Maltese cross

Military service emblems

A regimental badge on a headstone records where a person served. Veterans’ stones often carry the regiment’s cap badge, the naval anchor or the air force eagle. On a Canadian Armed Forces headstone the service number and rank share one line above the name. The regiment or service sits below it. These emblems mark service itself, not how a life ended.

Last Post Fund military marker

The Last Post Fund marker is a grey granite military style stone on a veteran’s grave. It is upright or flat, as the cemetery allows. It may carry the name, rank, unit and dates, and the words Lest We Forget. It may also carry a religious or cultural symbol of choice. They follow the inscription standards of Veterans Affairs Canada.

Royal Canadian Legion

A Legion crest on a headstone marks a Royal Canadian Legion member. The Legion also sells a poppy headstone marker for veterans and suggests a professional install it. The Remembrance poppy image is a registered trademark of the Legion. Personal, non commercial uses are welcome. The Legion’s own example is painting poppies on small stones to place on a veteran’s grave. Anything else needs written permission from the Legion’s Dominion Command. Ask before a poppy or the Legion crest is carved into a monument.

Trades and professions

A trade emblem on a headstone marks the work a person did. Each one names an occupation and nothing more, so the inscription carries the rest. Firefighters are covered above under the Maltese cross.

Rod of Asclepius and caduceus

Nurse’s lamp and cap

A nurse’s lamp on a headstone marks a nurse. It recalls Florence Nightingale, the Lady with the Lamp, who made her night rounds by lamplight. Nursing schools often light a lamp or candle at their pinning ceremonies in her memory. A nurse’s cap, sometimes with the letters RN, does the same job. The lamp of knowledge below is a different lamp.

Star of Life

Police badge

A police badge or service crest on a headstone marks a police officer. Each police service has its own crest, and the crest belongs to that service. Ask the service before its crest is carved, as you would ask a Legion branch about the Legion crest. A plain shield with no crest is the general form.

Scales of justice

Lamp of knowledge

Carpenter’s tools

A saw, a hammer and a steel square on a headstone mark a carpenter. The steel square is the carpenter’s own tool, used to lay out right angles and rafters. Do not confuse it with the Masonic square and compasses above, which mark a Mason, not a builder. A hard hat marks a construction worker the same way.

Chef’s hat

Modern and personal emblems

Modern emblems come from the life lived, not from tradition. Most have no old meaning, so the family gives them one. The entries below are named for the carved object.

Music notes

Guitar or piano

Hockey stick and skates

Crossed hockey sticks or a pair of skates on a headstone mark a hockey life. A standing player, stick in hand, is the other form, one of the ready made designs in our monument designer. A jersey number can honour a lifelong player, coach or fan. The rink mattered. The stone can say so.

Fishing rod and reel

A fishing rod and reel on a headstone mark an angler. The emblem stands for patience, early starts and time outdoors. A rod bent over quiet water or a boat at the dock carries the same meaning. The fish as a sign of faith is under Ichthys fish.

Golf clubs

Crossed golf clubs on a headstone mark a golfer. A ball on a tee or a flag on the green carries the same meaning. The emblem stands for a steady habit, friendship and long afternoons outside. Some designs show a full scene, a fairway with trees behind the flag.

Motorcycle

Tractor or truck

Cottage and lake scene

Garden tools

Garden tools on a headstone mark a gardener. A spade, a trowel and a watering can are the usual set, sometimes with a flower bed behind them. The emblem speaks to patience and the slow work of helping things grow. A single bloom can do the same job, and each flower carries a meaning of its own; see Flowers.

Claddagh

Infinity

Awareness ribbon

An awareness ribbon on a headstone names a cause. Ribbons show support for a cause, and each colour and pattern stands for a different one. On a stone it can mark the illness a person faced, or a cause they worked for. The family chooses the colour, and the colour carries the meaning.

Baby footprints

A pair of baby footprints on a headstone marks an infant’s grave. It is a modern emblem, and it does the job the lamb did on older stones. A small heart or a short name can sit between the prints. It suits a small marker as well as an upright.

Portrait and ceramic photo

A ceramic photo or a laser etched portrait puts a likeness on the stone for decades. Both are covered on our custom monuments page.

Monogram and initials

A monogram on a headstone turns a name into a mark. The letters are usually the initials of the first and last name. It is often set inside a wreath, a shield or a plain oval. Not every stone needs a picture, and a monogram suits a formal design. Two or three letters, made to last.

These emblems go on the upright headstones and flat markers we supply. To see one on a stone before you order, try a layout in our monument designer.

Letters and abbreviations on a headstone

Some markings on a stone are letters, not pictures. Most are Latin or Greek shorthand, a lodge name, or a Hebrew phrase. Here is what each one stands for. For full epitaphs and wording, see our guide on what to write on a headstone.

Other markings on a stone

Not every mark is a symbol. On some stones a small name cut low on the base is the monument company’s signature. Catholic Cemeteries does not permit one. A short code or number can be the cemetery’s plot reference. A footstone rarely carries more than initials and a year. A small cast poppy marker from the Legion marks a veteran’s grave.

Choosing a symbol for a monument

A few practical points for choosing well:

• Meaning comes first. Pick the symbol that says something true about the person. A simple emblem with the right meaning beats an elaborate one without it.
• Match the method to the symbol. See the map above and our engraving methods guide.
• Leave room for the words. The symbol should frame the inscription, not crowd it. Our guide on what to write on a headstone covers the wording side.
• Membership emblems belong to members. Use a lodge or regimental badge only for someone who belonged to that body.
• See it on the stone first. Try a layout in our monument designer before you ask for a quote.
• Check the cemetery’s rules. See the cemetery rules section below and our GTA cemetery guide. We confirm the rules for your section before anything is engraved.

Symbols are part of the design conversation when you order an upright headstone or marker from us. If you are starting that process, our guide to monument costs in Ontario explains what to expect. Shapes and monument formats are covered in our headstone types guide.

Cemetery rules for symbols in the GTA

Catholic Cemeteries, Mount Pleasant Group and Arbor Memorial each approve a monument design before it is installed. Here is what their bylaws say about symbols, in their own words.

Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Services. CCFS runs 21 cemeteries, including Christ the King in Markham and Mount Hope in Toronto. Its bylaws, revised January 2022, say: “All markers must have a cross incorporated into the design”. A marker includes “any monument” and “headstone”, so the rule covers uprights. The “symbolism” and “emblems” of every marker are also “subject to the approval of the Owner”, meaning the cemetery. So a loon or a hockey player would need approval, and it would sit beside a cross. Upright monuments may carry “no paint” on the surface “except for incised lettering and the background of carving”.

Mount Pleasant Group. MPG’s bylaws, effective May 1, 2024, cover ten cemeteries, including Elgin Mills in Richmond Hill and Pine Hills in Scarborough. A layout goes to the cemetery before delivery. It “must detail all inscriptions and design elements”, “including etchings, emblems etc”. Inscriptions are approved only when “in keeping with the dignity and decorum of the Cemetery”. Bronze, granite or stainless steel emblems “must be attached by means of pins or clips”.

Arbor Memorial. Arbor’s Ontario bylaws, effective November 2017, cover Glenview in Woodbridge and Glendale in Etobicoke, among others. Its marker rules bar any “inscription or image” that “may be seen as offensive”. They also bar anything “not in keeping with the dignity and decorum of the Cemetery”. The monument section adds: “Logos or Company symbols are not permitted”.

Municipal and other cemeteries. Rules vary from town to town, so check with the office before you order. Mississauga’s cemetery bylaw, for example, requires the Commissioner’s approval of a marker’s design and sets no emblem rule. Plot prices, size limits and other bylaw rules for each operator are in our GTA cemetery guide. We confirm the section rules for every monument we supply.

Sources

• Stone and Russell, Observations on Figures, Human and Divine, on Nineteenth Century Ontario Gravestones, Material Culture Review, 1986: journals.lib.unb.ca
• Association for Gravestone Studies, Symbolism: gravestonestudies.org
• Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Services, Operating Bylaws, revised January 2022: Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Services
• Mount Pleasant Group, Cemetery Bylaws, effective May 1, 2024: mountpleasantgroup.com
• Arbor Memorial, Cemetery Bylaws (Ontario), effective November 2017: arbormemorial.ca
• City of Mississauga, Municipal Cemeteries Bylaw 189-05: mississauga.ca
• Royal Canadian Legion, The Poppy Trademark: legion.ca
• Last Post Fund, Unmarked Grave Program: lastpostfund.ca
• Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Ontario’s symbols: ola.org

Retrieved 2026-09-12.

Frequently asked questions

What do the symbols and markings on a headstone mean?

Most headstone symbols carry meanings built up over generations, and some carry more than one. A dove usually stands for peace, a lamb for innocence, a rose for love. Ivy stands for lasting friendship and immortality, and an anchor for hope. Faith symbols like the cross and the Star of David mark a religious tradition. Modern stones often add personal emblems from the life lived, like music notes or sports gear.

What is the most common symbol on old gravestones?

The draped urn and the weeping willow are among the most common symbols on gravestones from the 1800s. Stone and Russell’s study of Ontario stones from 1835 to 1885 found the willow the most common design. Pointing or shaking hands came close behind. The urn stands for mourning and the willow for grief.

What does a dove on a headstone mean?

A dove on a headstone usually means peace and the soul at rest. A dove with an olive branch adds hope. A descending dove is a Christian symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is one of the most common birds on memorials.

What does a lamb on a gravestone mean?

A lamb on a gravestone usually marks a child’s grave. It stands for innocence and for the child in God’s care. On older stones the lamb is often carved lying down, as if asleep. On modern granite it can be engraved or etched instead.

What does a hand pointing down on a headstone mean?

A hand pointing down on a headstone can look like a judgment. It is not. It can mark a sudden death, or God reaching down from heaven for the soul. A hand pointing up means the soul has risen to heaven. Both appear on stones from the 1800s.

What do clasped hands on a headstone mean?

Clasped hands on a headstone usually mark a farewell, or a marriage that death did not break. Where one cuff is a man’s and one a woman’s, the marriage reading applies. It was a common carving on stones of the 1800s.

What does an anchor on a headstone mean?

An anchor on a headstone usually stands for hope and steady faith. Early Christians used it as a hidden cross. On older stones it can also mark a sailor or a life spent at sea.

What does IHS mean on a headstone?

IHS on a headstone is a monogram of the name Jesus. It comes from the first three letters of the name in Greek. It marks a Christian grave. A later reading treats it as Latin for Jesus, Saviour of Mankind.

Can any symbol be engraved on a headstone?

Almost any design can be turned into a stencil for sandblasting or etched by laser. Common emblems are available as ready made artwork. Custom drawings, portraits and scenes can also be engraved. The main limits are the size of the stone and your cemetery’s design rules, which we confirm before engraving.

Do cemeteries restrict headstone symbols?

Yes. The GTA’s main cemetery operators all require approval of a monument design before installation. Some go further. Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Services requires a cross in every marker’s design. Its bylaws also make symbolism and emblems subject to approval. Mount Pleasant Group and Arbor Memorial approve only what is in keeping with the cemetery’s dignity and decorum. Mount Pleasant also requires a layout that shows every etching and emblem. Mississauga’s municipal cemeteries approve the design and set no emblem rule. We confirm the section rules for every monument we supply. See the cemetery rules section of this guide and our GTA cemetery guide.