Do you put a Maiden Name on a Headstone?

A common question when designing a headstone is whether to include the maiden name or not.

There are no particular rules about this; most cemeteries require the first and last name but do not have any restrictions on the maiden name.

Here at Bottinelli’s Monuments we don’t get many requests to include maiden names. It is more common when the woman’s family was particularly illustrious. However when there is nothing to stop you from doing this, and there is room on the headstone, why not?

Middle names are often included in headstone inscriptions. But could we not consider the maiden name to be equally, if not more important; especially from a genealogical perspective.

How to decide if you should include a maiden name on a headstone:

1. Does the headstone allow enough space to add the maiden name?
2. Was their maiden name important to them? Did they use it in their life?
3. Was the maiden name an important part of their heritage?
4. Would the individual have wanted to be able to know about their family history?

How to include a maiden name on a headstone

Again, there are no particular rules about this, but there are some common practices you may choose to use.

1. Include the prefex “Née” – Originating from the French word Naitre, this means “to be born”.
2. Include the prefex “b.” – Again standing for “born”.
3. Include the maiden name in brackets