A graveyard is a place where people are buried after they die. These places are usually associated with churches, and they are restricted to followers of that religion.
The word graveyard comes from the French cimetiere, which is derived from the Greek word koimeterion. Historically, wealthy congregants were buried in their own crypts inside the church, while lesser-heeled members were buried in the surrounding churchyard.
Churchyard
Churchyards are a rich environment for wildlife, so we encourage visitors to explore and make records of the species they encounter. You can add your observations to the National Biodiversity Recording Scheme (NBRS) using iNaturalist.
There’s a fine line between respecting the secular world that continues to view churchyards as picture-postcards of historic importance and keeping them sacred for their spiritual purpose. There are a number of diocesan regulations that churches must adhere to in order to ensure this.
Today, it’s more common to use the words cemetery and graveyard interchangeably. However, if linguistic precision is your thing, you should reserve the term ‘graveyard’ for a resting place on church grounds and ‘cemetery’ for more modern, separate burial grounds that are not attached to any specific place of worship. The latter came into being as church-affiliated graveyards began to fill up. They’re often more crowded, with larger family plots. They’re also more likely to be spooky, with legends of devil worshipping and the use of cemeteries for grave-robbing.
Cemetery
There is no need to feel like you have a bone to pick with people who use the words graveyard and cemetery interchangeably. Both mean the same thing – a burial ground, often next to a church.
The biggest clue to the difference is in the name itself: a graveyard is located adjacent to a church and often has rules about what can be done there. A cemetery is not affiliated with a particular church and can be more modern, with the graves scattered across the grounds.
It’s important to understand that this database may contain errors, and not all members are ethical or prompt in making corrections. There are mechanisms for submitting corrections, but they are difficult to use and time-consuming. Also, some memorials are created by deceased members who don’t check the site frequently, or even when they’re dead. Ultimately, this can lead to mistakes in the records and cause misinformation about a burial place.
Burial Ground
Generally speaking, a burial ground is an area where people are buried after they die. It is a type of cemetery, but it is also commonly used as a term to describe an individual grave. The difference between a cemetery and a graveyard is that a graveyard is affiliated with a church and has certain religious restrictions regarding who can be buried there.
A churchyard is limited in space, so it is often difficult to get a plot. This is why many people choose to be buried in a cemetery instead.
Cemeteries came about when church-affiliated graveyards became overcrowded. In addition to the issue of overcrowding, there was a danger of human putrefaction infiltrating the water supply, which could lead to epidemics such as cholera. As a result, completely new burial sites were developed that were separate from the churchyards. These were called cemeteries, and they were more secular. They were also more accommodating to non-Christians.
Headstone
A headstone is the marker at the very top of a grave. It’s smaller in size than a monument and typically has more details, such as the name of the deceased, birth and death dates, and relations to family members.
Headstones can be inscribed with bas-relief carvings, engraved portraits and cameos of the deceased, or photographs. They often feature a symbol of faith or a message to the loved ones left behind.
Although the terms headstone, tombstone and gravestone are sometimes used interchangeably, each has a specific meaning. As a result, it’s important to understand the differences between them so you can choose the best memorialization option for your loved one.