The word urn comes from the Latin "urna", which is derived from the verb "urere", which means to burn. A strange distraction, because an urn is actually a vase or cup in which cremation remains are stored. But the vase or cup gets the name urn because of that function.

The use of urns goes back a long way. In ancient times, for example, urns were used that were placed in urn fields. Urns were also used for ashes by the Greeks and Romans. Although ash pits also occurred, a lot of ashes were also kept in urns. With the advent of Christianity, the burning of corpses was prohibited. Urns were no longer used until they reappeared in sculpture as a symbol of classical antiquity referring to death and mourning, whether or not covered by a mourning veil.

An urn on a funerary monument is often half covered by a mourning veil, this symbolizes the covering of life.