How to Search Cemetery Records by Cemetery Name

Sometimes you know which cemetery your ancestor is buried in — but you don't know how to find the records. Whether you have a family story, an old photograph, or a death certificate that names a specific cemetery, this guide shows you the most efficient ways to search by cemetery name.

Why Searching by Cemetery Name Works

Cemetery-focused searching is often more effective than name-only searching for several reasons:

• Narrows the universe — A common surname like Smith or Johnson becomes manageable when filtered to a specific cemetery
• Reveals family clusters — Families often buried relatives in the same cemetery over generations. Finding one Smith in a cemetery often leads to a dozen related Smiths in the same section
• Confirms the right person — Multiple people with the same name can exist; the cemetery location confirms you have the right individual
• Unlocks local records — Once you identify the cemetery, the local sexton records, church registers, or county death records become the next logical step

How to Use GraveMapper's Cemetery Index

GraveMapper has a dedicated Cemetery Index with profiles for over 60 major US cemeteries. Each cemetery page includes:

• Cemetery history and historical significance
• Notable people buried there
• All indexed records from that cemetery
• Most common surnames in that cemetery's records

To find your cemetery, browse the alphabetical cemetery list or search for the cemetery name in the main search bar.

Searching by Cemetery in the GraveMapper Search Bar

GraveMapper's search engine indexes the cemetery name for every record. You can search for a cemetery directly:

• Type the cemetery name in the search bar (e.g., “Graceland Cemetery”) to see all records from that cemetery
• Combine cemetery name with a surname (e.g., “Graceland Smith”) to find Smiths in that specific cemetery
• Use partial cemetery names — “Mount Hope” will return results from all Mount Hope cemeteries in our database

Finding Cemeteries From a Death Certificate

Death certificates typically list the name of the cemetery and sometimes the section and lot number. If you have a death certificate with a cemetery name:

1. Search GraveMapper for the cemetery name combined with the surname
2. Check the cemetery's own website or contact the sexton directly — most cemeteries maintain burial records going back to their founding
3. Search BillionGraves or FindAGrave with the cemetery name and surname
4. Contact the county or city genealogical society — they often maintain transcribed cemetery records

When You Don't Know the Cemetery Name

If you know your ancestor lived in a specific city or county but don't know which cemetery they're buried in, these strategies help:

• Start with the GraveMapper cemetery index — browse cemeteries in the state or city where your ancestor lived
• Search by state and surname — use the By State pages to browse records from specific states
• Check the USGS Geographic Names database — it catalogs cemetery names by county and state with geographic coordinates
• Contact the county historical society — many counties have comprehensive cemetery surveys listing every known burial ground
• Search Google Maps — search “cemetery [city or county]” to identify cemeteries in the area

Organizing Your Cemetery Research

As you search by cemetery, keep organized notes:

• Record the cemetery name, city, state, and section/lot number for every record you find
• Note which cemeteries you've already fully searched — avoid duplicating effort
• When you find a family cluster in one cemetery, search for all the surnames in adjacent sections
• Check if the cemetery has been fully indexed or if gaps exist in the digital records — older sections may not be digitized