Daily AncestorLaurel
Laurel on a gravestone, usually as a wreath, stands for distinction, achievement or victory; it is evergreen, so it can also mean eternity.
The ancient laurel crown went to victors and poets, and on gravestones it honors accomplishment. A National Park Service guide calls it recognition for valor or achievement, and others add victory and eternity because the plant stays green.
A laurel wreath is often given to someone who stood out in the arts, letters, sport or military life, but carvers also used it as general decoration. If the stone names a rank, office or profession, the laurel supports it; on its own it is not evidence.
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Daily Ancestor. "Laurel." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/laurel. Last checked 2026-10-15.