This is a common question that people have when planning for a loved one’s cremation. The short answer is no – an urn does not necessarily hold all of the ashes from a cremated body. Here’s a more in-depth look at why this is the case and what options are available.
How much ash is left after cremation?
On average, a cremated body leaves behind 3-9 pounds of ashes. However, this can vary depending on the person’s body size. The cremation process vaporizes soft tissues and reduces bone fragments to unidentifiable dimensions of less than 5 mm. Everything else is reduced to ash.
So while the body is reduced mainly to ash, there are also other remains present. These remains typically include:
- Bone fragments
- Teeth fillings
- Prosthetics like joint replacements or pacemakers
All of these remain behind with the ash after cremation.
How big are urns?
Urns come in many shapes, sizes, and materials. Some common urn sizes include:
| Urn Size | Estimated Ashes Held |
|---|---|
| Mini urn (100 cubic inches) | Holds up to 4 cups of ash |
| Small urn (200 cubic inches) | Holds up to 8 cups of ash |
| Medium urn (300 cubic inches) | Holds up to 12 cups of ash |
| Large urn (400 cubic inches) | Holds up to 16 cups of ash |
As you can see, even large urns top out at around 16 cups of ash capacity. With the average cremation yielding 3-9 pounds of ash, a typical urn is not large enough to accommodate all the ashes.
So what happens to any extra ash?
If the deceased’s urn is not large enough to hold all the cremated remains, there are a few options for handling the excess ash:
- Store excess in a secondary urn. Extra ashes can be placed in a second matching or complementary urn.
- Return excess to family. The crematory may return excess ash to the family for keeping or scattering.
- Scatter excess remains. Many families opt to scatter the extra ashes at a meaningful location.
- Place some in cremation jewelry. Some ash can be placed into special jewelry like pendants or beads.
- Inter ashes in cemetery plot. Any extra remains can be buried alongside the urn in a cemetery plot.
The crematory will go over these options with the family if the standard urn size does not accommodate all of the cremated remains.
Factors impacting how much ash fits in an urn
A few things impact how much ash will fit into a particular urn:
- Cremation process: Some crematories pulverize remains into finer particles, allowing more ash to fit into an urn.
- Urn shape: Narrower urn shapes may concentrate ash and fit more compared to wider urns.
- Ash compression: Lightly compressing ash allows more to fit into the urn.
- Urn decor: Urns with inner decorations or engraved elements hold less ash overall.
Because of this variation, urn capacity guides are general estimates. The crematory can provide a better sense of how much ash to expect and which urn size is best.
Alternatives if all the ash won’t fit
If a suitably large urn is unavailable or out of budget, some alternatives include:
- Using multiple smaller urns
- Choosing a basic urn and placing it inside a decorative outer urn
- Opting for an urn vault which can hold urns of various sizes
- Exploring cremation jewelry to hold any excess ash
- Keeping some remains to scatter later
The funeral director and cremation provider can advise on options to ensure all the ash is kept in a way that honors loved one’s wishes.
Key Takeaways
- On average, cremated remains yield 3-9 pounds of ash and bone fragments.
- Standard urn sizes range from around 4 cups up to 16 cups capacity.
- It’s common for some ash to remain after filling the urn.
- Extra ash can be kept in a second urn, returned to family, scattered, or placed into cremation jewelry.
- The amount of ash fitting into an urn depends on the cremation method, urn shape, ash compression, and inner decor.
The Bottom Line
Due to the amount of ash created and the limited capacity of common urn sizes, an urn is unlikely to hold all of the ashes from a traditional cremation. Crematories are accustomed to working with families to handle any excess ash left over after filling the primary urn. With planning and understanding of the volume of ash to expect, families can ensure their loved one’s ashes are handled according to final wishes.