Burial and Cemetery Record Terminology

Burial and cemetery records often contain specialized terminology that can be confusing to modern researchers. The terms below are commonly found in cemetery registers, burial permits, sexton’s records, gravestone transcriptions, church burial entries, and interment records. Understanding this language can clarify burial location, religious affiliation, family relationships, financial status, and record context.

Term	Meaning
Interment	The act of burying a body in the ground or placing remains in a tomb or vault.
Inurnment	Placement of cremated remains in an urn or niche.
Sepulture	Formal or archaic term for burial.
Sepulcher	Burial chamber, vault, or tomb.
Consigned to the Earth	Phrase found in older records meaning buried.
Reinterment	Removal and reburial of remains in a different location.
Disinterment	Legal removal of remains from a grave.
Exhumation	Another term for disinterment.
Receiving Vault	Temporary structure used to store remains before final burial.
Vault	Lined outer burial container placed in the ground.
Mausoleum	Building containing above-ground burial crypts.
Crypt	Enclosed burial chamber within a mausoleum.
Niche	Recess used to hold an urn containing cremated remains.
Plot	Individual burial space within a cemetery.
Lot	Section of cemetery land containing one or more plots.
Family Lot	Group of adjoining plots reserved for members of the same family.
Grave Space	Specific location within a lot designated for burial.
Cemetery Plat	Map showing lot and plot layout within a cemetery.
Burial Deed	Legal document transferring ownership of a cemetery lot.
Lot Owner	Individual who legally owns burial rights to a plot or lot.
Trustee	Person responsible for cemetery oversight and administration.
Sexton	Cemetery official who maintains grounds and oversees burials.
Perpetual Care	Ongoing maintenance funded by a one-time cemetery fee.
Grave Opening	The digging and preparation of a burial space, often noted as a fee.
Burial Permit	Official authorization required before burial.
Transit Permit	Authorization to transport remains to another location.
Removal Permit	Authorization required to relocate remains.
Burial Register	Cemetery record book listing interments and burial details.
Memorial Inscription	Text engraved on a grave marker.
Cenotaph	Memorial marker placed where no body is buried.
Headstone	Marker placed at the head of a grave.
Footstone	Smaller marker placed at the foot of a grave.
Monument	Large memorial structure marking one or more graves.
Ledger Stone	Flat stone slab covering a grave.
Marker	General term for any grave identifier.
Potter’s Field	Burial ground for indigent or unidentified individuals.
Indigent Burial	Burial provided at public expense.
Pauper Burial	Burial in a cemetery section designated for the poor.
Consecrated Ground	Cemetery land formally dedicated for religious burial.
Requiem Mass	Catholic funeral mass offered for the deceased.
Mass Card	Printed memorial card distributed at a funeral service.
Burial Society	Mutual aid organization that provided funeral benefits.
Undertaker	Historical term for funeral director.
Funeral Director	Individual responsible for funeral arrangements and body preparation.
Embalming	Process of preserving remains prior to burial.

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