Daily AncestorThistle
A thistle on a gravestone often signals Scottish ancestry; in Christian symbolism it can also mean earthly sorrow or Christ's crown of thorns.
The thistle is Scotland's emblem, and on an American stone it is often a deliberate sign of Scottish birth or descent. That makes it a useful lead: look for a Scottish birthplace in the census and for Presbyterian church records.
In Christian art the prickly plant also stood for earthly sorrow and the crown of thorns. A thistle on its own is a clue to origins, not proof.
As seen in a recordTown or Presbyterian church cemetery, 1830 to 1920
Thistle carved above the name: Alexander McTavish Lorne, born Perthshire, Scotland, 1811, died 1878
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Thistle." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/gravestone-symbols/thistle. Last checked 2026-10-15.