February 3, 2025

Your Guide to Memorial Terminology

What memorial to choose, and how to design it to remember a loved one, is a very important decision.

It can be overwhelming to decide on a memorial when there are endless options available to choose from, and when the terminology can be confusing. In this article, we’ll break down some memorial terminology and discuss what options are available in New Zealand for memorials.

Memorial

A memorial is a gravestone or monument that is customised and used as a way to memorialise your loved one. There are many types of memorials that you can choose, the most popular ones usually being a headstone. A memorial inscription can say anything you want it to, (as long as it is not rude or derogatory of course). At a minimum, they usually include the person’s full name, their date of birth and their date of death. Many inscriptions also include additional words or phrases, known as an epitaph.

Headstone

Headstones are a popular memorial option the world over. In New Zealand, they are most often carved from granite. They sit upright, allowing passersby to read the information on it as they walk past and are placed at the head of a grave. They come in an endless range of shapes and sizes, although cemeteries will have rules in place as to the size and shape they allow.

Tombstone

Historically, a tombstone referred to the stone lid of a stone coffin. Stone coffins were used for the very wealthy in Medieval times. Ancient Egyptians also used stone coffins for their elite – referred to as a sarcophagus.

Gravestone

A gravestone was originally a flat stone slab that was placed on top of a grave. They can also be called ledger stones. Ledger stones were usually inscribed and placed on top of a tomb or on the floor of a church to commemorate the burial place of someone important. Ledger stones from as early as the 1500s have been found in England’s historical churches.

Today, the words tombstone, headstone, and gravestone are interchangeable, but in New Zealand we usually use the word headstone.

Monument

These are upright headstones that are often large. They are usually sculptures or have a sculptural element. Popular monument designs include crosses, Roman columns or guardian angels. Animals such as doves, and even dolphins, are becoming more popular and modern sculpture methods allow for a greater range of shapes while still being affordable.

Columbariums

A type of memorial with inbuilt spaces to hold inturned cremated remains in urns. They are permanent structures made usually of granite. They are installed outside, or less often inside a building, at a cemetery.

Mausoleums

Similar to a columbarium, but instead designed to hold caskets. New Zealand’s largest cemetery, Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland, has over 50 mausoleums.

Plaque or Grave Marker

This is usually a flat marker made of metal or stone (often bronze) that is smaller than a headstone and placed flush against the ground. To read it, you need to stand over it. The terms plaque and grave marker are often used interchangeably. In New Zealand, we generally refer to them as plaques or memorial plaques, while in the United States, they are more often referred to as a grave marker. If you visit one of New Zealand’s 180+ cemeteries for servicemen, you may notice that bronze memorial plaques are primarily used to mark the graves. To maintain equality, the plaques are kept the same size and shape, with standard inscriptions.

When deciding on a memorial option, remember to take into consideration the rules of the cemetery where this will be installed.

All cemeteries will have different rules about the size, location and installation of memorials. We recommend speaking with the cemetery management about their regulations before purchasing a memorial.

At Robinson Memorials we create beautiful and customised memorials to help you honour the memory of your loved ones. Our experienced team can help walk you through the process, from choosing a memorial type, to the design and what epitaph you want inscribed.

View our full range of memorial options or visit our services page to find out how we can help you in crafting the perfect memorial.

If you want help deciding on an epitaph, talk to us or read this article on choosing an epitaph for ideas.