Genogram Maker
Genogram symbols

Death Symbol in a Genogram

A person who has died is drawn with an X through their square or circle. Write the birth and death years under the symbol, for example "1940–2015", and the cause of death if it matters to the genogram.

R.M.1940–2015E.M.82D.M.54
Fig. 1 — Death exampleOpen in Genogram Maker
  • Deceased

What it means

  • The X goes corner to corner through the symbol.
  • Deceased people stay in their place in the family; they are often central to the story.
  • If the cause of death is a health condition you are tracking, also half-fill the symbol for that condition.

When to use it

  • Every deceased family member, including those who died young.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving deceased grandparents out of a three-generation genogram.
  • Writing an age instead of the years, which makes the timeline hard to follow.

Genogram Maker draws this symbol for you and adds it to the key automatically. Open the example above and edit it.