Analysis of 38 Million U.S. Obituaries Finds Tradition and Benevolence Most Celebrated

Researchers who analyzed 38 million U.S. obituaries published over the past 30 years say the most commonly celebrated values in death are tradition and benevolence.

Using automated text-analysis tools to mine decades of published notices, the team reported that nearly 80 percent of obituaries highlighted respect for customs or religion and 76 percent emphasized caring, reliability and trustworthiness. The study’s lead author, David Markowitz, an associate professor at Michigan State University, told the Daily Mail that words such as "faithful," "Bible" and "missionary" were prevalent and that phrases reflecting deep social connections — "wife," "mother," "caring" and "friend" — routinely signaled benevolence in memorials.

The analysis also found consistent differences by gender, age and historical context. Women were more often remembered for benevolence; men for achievement and structured responsibility. Older adults were more likely to be memorialized for tradition. The researchers said the language used in obituaries offers a mirror into cultural ideals as well as the lived attributes of those who died.

The study examined how large-scale events altered the language and values emphasized in obituaries. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, mentions of security in obituaries declined while references to tradition and benevolence rose, and obituaries for 9/11 victims in New York placed a relatively greater emphasis on benevolence. Mentions of security in the New York victims’ obituaries remained lower for at least two weeks after the attacks, the researchers report.

The 2008 financial crisis corresponded with a gradual decline in mentions of achievement — language reflecting personal success and socially valued skills — beginning about a month after the crisis and continuing for about a year. The researchers also observed a drop in religion- and tradition-related language during that period.

During the Covid-19 pandemic the study found further shifts. References to benevolence began a downward trend starting in 2019 and had not returned to pre-pandemic levels by the time of analysis. Traditional themes such as religion and social norms remained elevated two and four years after the pandemic began. Markowitz said the physical separation required by pandemic-era public health measures may have contributed to fewer expressions of social connection in obituaries; the team also noted fewer references to institutional roles such as military service and careers during the pandemic.

The authors emphasize that words associated with power or personal strength — for example, language about being "strong" or "always fighting for something" — were far less prominent than terms denoting kindness, faithfulness and social bonds. That pattern, they say, suggests that the traits most fondly remembered are those tied to relationships and community rather than force or individual prowess.

The researchers framed obituaries as cultural artifacts and time capsules that reflect not only who is remembered and for what contributions, but also how societies collectively value different kinds of lives. "Obituaries serve as a unique source of information about how societies value different kinds of lives," Markowitz said, adding that shared trauma can shape what is mourned and highlight regional differences in remembrance.

By linking large-scale text analysis with temporal and geographic markers, the study provides a quantitative look at how memorial language has evolved in the United States and how local and national events leave traces in public expressions of grief. The authors say their findings offer an unprecedented glimpse into the priorities that communities celebrate when they write about the dead and, indirectly, what those priorities say about the living.