Decoding the Old Abbreviations and Symbols on Family Headstones

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I still remember the day I found my great-great-grandmother’s headstone, it was July, humid as hell, and I was swatting mosquitos in a tiny cemetary outside of Buffalo. The stone was tilted, half-sunk into the ground, and covered in moss so thick I couldn't read a single letter. I knelt down, used my fingernails to scrape a bit of the green crust off, and saw "ELIZABETH" carved in beautifull script. Then I saw "AE 72.” I had no idea what "AE" meant. Took me three tries to get a decent photo. Worth it.

That moment kicked off a full-blown obsession. I spent the next year driving to old graveyards, copying down inscriptions, and cross-referencing them with genealogy sites. I learned that those weird little abbreviations aren’t random — they’re a code. Once you crack it, you open up entire life stories. Birth dates, military service, religious beliefs, even causes of death. All hidden in plain sight.

So grab a notebook and a soft brush. I’m going to walk you through the most common abbreviations and symbols you’ll find on old headstones. No jargon. Just the stuff that actually matters when you’re out there, kneeling in the grass, trying to piece together your family’s past.

The Big Three: Age, Dates, and Relationship Abbreviations

You’ll see these over and over. "AE" stands for "aged" (from Latin "aetatis"). So "AE 72" means she was 72 when she died. Simple. "Dau." means daughter, "Wife of" is straightforward, and "Consort of" means spouse — usually used in older stones.

Dates are trickier. Old stones sometimes use Roman numerals (MDCCCLXIV = 1864) or abbreviations like "Inst." for the current month or "Ult." for last month. If you see "d. 10th Ult." it means died on the 10th of last month. I once spent an hour decoding a stone that said "OB. 3 Feb 1852" — "OB" is short for "obit" (died).

Pro tip: Grab a small mirror or use your phone’s flashlight at a low angle. It makes the worn letters pop out. Works every time.

Military and Fraternal Symbols — More Than Just Decor

A lot of stones have symbols that tell you what group the person belonged to. The G.A.R. Star (Grand Army of the Republic) means they fought for the Union in the Civil War. A cross with a crown? That’s the Knights Templar, a Masonic order. The compass and square? Freemason. Three links of a chain? Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

I found a stone once with a strange, three-legged symbol. Took me weeks to figure out it was the Order of the Eastern Star — a Masonic-related group for women. My great-great-grandmother was a member. That little symbol told me more about her social life than any census record ever could.

Big mistake: assuming a symbol is just decoration. Always look up the abbreviation next to it. "L.O.O.F." means Lodge of the Odd Fellows. "K. Of P." is Knights of Pythias. These aren’t random letters.

Religious and Cause-of-Death Clues

You’ll see "R.I.P." (Requiescat in Pace — rest in peace) on Catholic stones. "I.H.S." is a Christogram, short for the Greek spelling of Jesus. "Fidei Defensor" means Defender of the Faith. But some abbreviations are darker.

"Consumption" was the old word for tuberculosis. You might see "Phthisis" (same thing). "Apoplexy" is a stroke. "Childbed" means died in childbirth. I once found a stone for a mother and twin infants, all died the same week in 1888. The inscription said "Victims of Scarlet Fever." No euphemisms back then.

If you see a hand pointing up, that means the soul ascended to heaven. A hand pointing down? That’s a sudden or unexpected death. A broken column means a life cut short. A willow tree means mourning. These symbols are a language — and once you learn it, you can read the whole story.

How to Clean Safely Without Ruining the Stone

Before you try to read anything, you need to clean the stone gently. Here’s the rule: never use harsh household chemicals, skip abrasive tools like wire brushes or metal scrapers, and steer clear of strong acids or alkaline cleaners. Those will eat away the surface and destroy the carvings. I learned that the hard way on a cousin’s stone — the lettering literally flaked off.

Instead, use a pH-neutral, non-ionic cleaner like D/2 Biological Solution. Spray it on, let it sit for 10 minutes, then scrub with a soft nylon brush (not a wire one!) and rinse with water. That’s it. For moss, use a wooden scraper or plastic putty knife. No pressure washers — they blast the stone apart.

I keep a little kit in my car: a spray bottle of D/2, a soft brush, a plastic scraper, and a microfiber cloth. Costs about $30 and lasts for dozens of stones. Worth every penny.

A Few Wild Cards — Regional and Time-Specific Oddities

Sometimes abbreviations are just weird because the carver made a typo or used an old shorthand. "S.” can mean “son of” or “saint.” “N.” can be “nephew” or “native of.” I saw a stone that said “B. 1812, D. 1886” — straightforward. But then “M. 1845” — that could mean married, or moved, or mother. Context matters.

One stone I found had “W.W.W.” at the bottom. Turns out it stood for “Worshipful Worshipful Worshipful” — a Masonic title for a high-ranking officer. Another had “O.H.M.S.” — On Her Majesty’s Service, meaning the person was a government messenger.

If you’re stuck, take a photo and post it on a genealogy forum. I’ve had strangers decode symbols I’d never seen before in under an hour. The community is amazing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does 'AE' mean on a headstone?

A: It stands for 'aged,' from the Latin 'aetatis.' So 'AE 45' means 'aged 45 years.' It’s one of the most common abbreviations on old headstones, especially from the 1700s and 1800s.

Q: How do I tell if a symbol is Masonic or just decoration?

A: Look for letters near the symbol. Masons often use 'G' inside a compass and square. Odd Fellows use three links with 'L.O.O.F.' Knights Templar use a cross and crown. If there’s no obvious abbreviation, check a symbol dictionary online — there are free ones from the Association for Gravestone Studies.

Q: Can I use bleach to clean a headstone?

A: No. Never. Bleach is harsh and will damage the stone, especially marble and limestone. It can also leave white stains that ruin the patina. Stick with a pH-neutral cleaner like D/2 Biological Solution. It’s safe and actually removes biological growth without harming the stone.

Q: What does 'OB' mean on a headstone?

A: It’s short for 'obit,' Latin for 'died.' You’ll often see it before the date, like 'OB. 3 Mar 1845.' It’s basically equivalent to 'died on.' Other variations include 'Ob.' or 'Obiit.'

Q: Why do some headstones have a hand pointing down?

A: A downward-pointing hand usually means a sudden or unexpected death — like an accident or childbirth. An upward-pointing hand means the soul ascended to heaven. A hand with an index finger pointing to a rose or flower can mean the person was a member of a specific fraternal order.