Headstone Abbreviations and Meanings: RIP, IHS & More

Old and new headstones are full of initials and short forms. Some save space; others carry religious, military or fraternal meaning. Here is what the most common ones mean.

Religious abbreviations

Abbreviation	Meaning
RIP	Requiescat in pace — "May he/she rest in peace"
IHS	The first letters of "Jesus" in Greek, often read as a Christian monogram
INRI	Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum — "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"
XP (Chi-Rho)	First two letters of "Christ" in Greek
AMDG	Ad maiorem Dei gloriam — "For the greater glory of God"
פ״נ	Hebrew: "here lies" — see our Jewish unveiling guide

Older genealogical abbreviations

Abbreviation	Meaning
Aet. or Æt.	Aetatis — "aged" (e.g. Aet. 72)
Ob.	Obiit — "died"
Wo. / w/o	Wife of
Relict	Widow (older usage)
d.s.p.	Decessit sine prole — "died without children"
Y. M. D.	Years, months, days of age

Military and service initials

Veterans' stones often show rank, unit, branch and war: for example PFC, SGT, USN, USMC, RCAF, WWII, KOREA, VIETNAM. Our military inscriptions guide explains the order used on government markers.

Fraternal and society initials

F&AM or square-and-compass — Freemasons (see Masonic and fraternal emblems)
IOOF — Independent Order of Odd Fellows
K of C — Knights of Columbus
BPOE — Elks

Should you use abbreviations on a new stone?

Use them where they carry meaning (RIP, a military rank) or save essential space. Avoid shortening names or months if it makes the stone harder to read — "Sept." is fine, but initials in place of a first name can confuse future generations.

Abbreviations in other languages

Older stones often use abbreviations from other languages:

German: "geb." (born), "gest." (died).
Polish: "Ś.P." (of blessed memory).
Hebrew: פ"נ (here lies), תנצב"ה (may their soul be bound in the bond of life).
French: "née" (born, maiden name).

See German, Polish and Hebrew abbreviations.

Age abbreviations on old stones

Older stones often give age rather than a birth date:

"Aet." or "Aged" — aged (Latin aetatis).
"Ae 72 y 3 m 14 d" — aged 72 years, 3 months, 14 days.
"In his 80th year" — aged 79.
"Consort of" / "Relict of" — wife of / widow of.

These are especially common on 18th- and 19th-century stones. See how to read a worn headstone.

Key Takeaways

RIP, IHS and INRI are the most common religious abbreviations.
Aet., Ob. and Wo. appear on older stones and help genealogists read ages and relationships.
Military and fraternal initials follow set formats — check them before engraving.
On a new stone, abbreviate only where it adds meaning or saves needed space.