The Meaning Behind Arrangement of the 9/11 Memorial Names

The 9/11 Memorial arranged the names of victims in part by “meaningful adjacencies” – where they were at the time of their death and what personal relationships they shared with other victims. You can easily find the locations of victims’ names on the memorial using the Memorial Guide.

The guide, which is a website and an app that can be downloaded for free on iPhone, Android and Windows phones, ensures that the legacy of those who died will continue to live on and enables you to search for and view all of the names inscribed on the memorial. It provides photographs of victims as well as biographical information such as date of birth, hometown, employer and requested adjacencies made by family or next of kin. An individual map for each victim shows the specific location of the name on the memorial.

Using the guide, you can also find detailed information on the arrangement of the names and locate cobblestones that people or organizations sponsor as a permanent piece of the memorial plaza.

By Jordan Friedman, 9/11 Memorial Research and Digital Projects Associate