Tattoos are a great way to express yourself, and brotherhood tattoos are more powerful than the rest. They celebrate the bond you share with your brothers and commemorate each other’s strength and courage. Whether it’s an image of your favorite animal or a meaningful phrase, these symbols can be used to create very personal and long-lasting sentiments.
Brotherhood tattoo ideas are varied because the concept of brotherhood means something different for each person. In addition to a sibling bond, brotherhood tattoos can also celebrate community and those with whom you share a common interest or goal. In this blog post, we have put together 25 of our favorite brotherhood tattoo ideas for those looking to honor their bonds in ink. We hope you find something that speaks directly to you!
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when considering brotherhood tattoo ideas. If you want something straightforward, you can easily get the word tattooed on yourself. This example is done in a handsome font, but explore others if this is speaking to you.
Scales can symbolize a lot of things, from equality to justice. For your brotherhood tattoo ideas, try to come up with something that symbolizes what makes your bond so special. If you always treat each other fairly, something similar could be right for you.
The most popular style of brotherhood tattoo is two hands in an embrace. It’s an easily recognizable symbol of working together. This is just the start, but there are many other examples on this list if you’d like to get an idea of the directions you can go in.
Again, we find a pair of hands clasped together, but this time, there’s a dagger included for additional visual interest and symbolic heft. You can go in a classic route for your brotherhood tattoo ideas but add a twist to make it your own.
If you’re not looking to make a huge time and money commitment, consider brotherhood tattoo ideas that are modest in size but carry the most meaning. For these brothers, a sun and moon did the trick.
Some of the best brotherhood tattoo ideas stem from a great sense of humor. We find portraits of the Blue Brothers here with their famous tagline, “On a mission, from God.” If you’re not taking yourself too seriously, have fun with it.
The second most common type of brotherhood tattoo is a portrait design showing the pair from behind. It’s a hopeful scene tinged with nostalgia. This is a very fine example but we’ve got more like it further down the list.
Among brotherhood tattoo ideas, nostalgic ideas from childhood are popular. These brothers grew up enjoying Venom and Spider-Man and they decided to honor that past shared interest with their tattoos.
Family tree tattoos are very popular and are shared between members of the same family. It proves a fool-proof design that also happens to look handsome in most cases.
This is one of two matching tattoos featuring sports shoes tied together. These brothers must have grown up playing sports together and enjoying time on the field. If that sounds like you, consider something similar.
We’ve got three brothers here, and each one gets a stingray. For brotherhood tattoo ideas, try and think of a common interest you all share and how to translate that in ink.
Yin and yang tattoos are massively popular today. You can use more creative brotherhood tattoo ideas like the koi fish that convey the same message or simply choose the symbol.
We’re not sure if this is supposed to be funny or not, but it’s one of the brotherhood tattoos that cracked us up when we saw it. This pair dug deep to develop a matching tattoo design that says “The Same.” Profound stuff.
Michelangelo’s David is one of the most beloved artworks of all time. It’s taken on new life in these brotherhood tattoos. This choice could have been made for any number of reasons but maybe their father’s name is David.
Again, another one of the nostalgic brotherhood tattoo ideas finds baby Hercules from the animated film down in opposing colors. Take note of the watercolor effect for the backgrounds. It’s a popular trend today.
This pair of brothers clearly enjoy hunting. For your brotherhood tattoo ideas, you can switch things up a bit if you don’t want the pieces to match too much.
We’re back to the brotherhood hands, but these are engaged in a fist bump instead of a shake. A classic flower tattoo has been added to the background for a cool contrast.
If you and your brothers enjoy a pint every now and again, a couple of mugs could be the way to go. For your brotherhood tattoo ideas, also consider favorite foods that you both enjoyed now or as kids.
Here’s one of our favorite brotherhood tattoos on the list. It finds two boys in crowns pointing at each other. There’s a playfulness to it and plenty of style that the artist has injected via intense shading.
As promised, here’s another one of the brotherhood tattoos that features realism that could have been copied from a prized family photo. We find this genre of sibling tattoo to be the most touching.
Finally, we’ve got one last example of a brotherhood tattoo idea that takes the traditional design but twists it with the inclusion of tattoos on tattoos.
There you go! We hope you found these brotherhood tattoo ideas to be inspiring. Celebrating brotherhood in all its forms is a wise choice, especially through the art of tattooing. For even more ink inspiration, keep reading. We’ve got some heartwarming sibling tattoos to share with you as well.
Discover Some Excellent Brother and Sister Tattoos Below:
Would you believe this is the most popular brother and sister tattoo out there? We were so surprised to see this combination of Bart and Lisa many, many, many times while researching brother and sister tattoos. We must admit that it is truly adorable! If you go with this, know that you will be in good company.
How about that balance? We find landscapes inside two triangular shapes here, one radiating with the rays of the sun and the other glowing by moonlight.
“We got ‘519’ the house # we grew up in and where dad still lives,” the person who got this tattoo shared. “I drove up to [dad’s] on my way there and got him to write ‘519’ on a piece of paper for me. So we got it in Dad’s handwriting.”
We find matching portraits for these brother and sister tattoos. This is also a popular style in this genre of tattoo. We think it often yields fantastic results, and you should do the same by using an old photo of the two of you together.
“My sister’s protector” and “My brother’s keeper” are two sentiments that are extremely popular among brother and sister tattoos. These two got different fonts but a matching one could look even better.
Nostalgia is the name of the game when it comes to brother and sister tattoos. Many siblings opt for designs that feature characters from their favorite cartoons as kids. This is so funny and a great idea!
White ink tattoos fade very quickly and do not tend to stay visible after a couple of years. That’s not stopping many people from giving them a try. Tattoo artist used to say “no” to them but now, it’s a big trend.
Many brother and sister tattoos complement each other in unique ways. Similar to the landscapes with the sun and moon, we find these Yin and Yang shapes with the same motif. There are some extremely fine lines and details in these stunning tattoos.
This is perfect. We find two hands holding what appears to be the same thread. It’s a visualization of these siblings’ special connection. A truly sentimental and sweet idea.
Compass brother and sister tattoos are also highly favored. The visual is a metaphor for guidance and direction, perfect for a pair of siblings who are always looking out for one another.
We told you cartoons were a big trend among brother and sister tattoos! We find Dee Dee and Dexter in a scene from Dexter’s Laboratory. These siblings likely enjoyed watching the show as children. We always loved how Dee Dee ruined most things for her brother.
Anything can be a brother and sister tattoo. After all, some folks like to keep the significance of their tattoos private. These thundercloud tattoos perfectly match, which is no easy task.
Really, anything goes. We liked these little branch tattoos. They are small and understated and will look fantastic, mysterious even, when they are not side by side.
Many of us grew up with a pet that was part of the family. For these brother and sister tattoos, they wanted to memorialize a pup that passed away. What a sweet thing for the two of them to share.
Here are some of our favorite brother and sister tattoos. We find a hare seemingly going through a portal from one sibling to the next. A very bright idea for a tattoo that is shared.
Do you think these two share a love of space? Tow rockets that are similar but not exactly the same look energetic and fun. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box!
Pinky promise! Another great image that celebrates the dedication siblings have for one another is the classic pinky promise. This one has been improved by a cool, dotted background that gives texture and further visual interest.
For these brother and sister tattoos, we find a stylish black cat. Perhaps these two grew up with a cat like this, or maybe they both fell in love with the image. The world’s your oyster!
We find split faces of lions for these brother and sister tattoos. These lion and arrow designs are very popular, so not the most original design but handsome nonetheless.
Okay! We find a pair of skulls adorned with bows in these brother and sister tattoos. Go with your gut and try something different for the most remarkable designs.
We find a symbol of love in these two tattoos that sing in black and red ink. There’s no better color combination than black and red tattoos, so if you can work that into your design, you won’t regret it.
Gingko leaves are some of the most beautiful on the planet. We loved seeing them in these matching tattoos. Any botanical object will work but think of ones that conjure a shared memory for the best results.
There you go! We hope you enjoyed these brother and sister tattoos and will consider getting one with your sibling. Family tattoos are just so special and meaningful, so if you get the chance to get one, seize it!
Andrew is an Assistant Editor for Mamas Uncut with over ten years of experience as a writer in the creative, marketing, and blogging spaces. After studying Film and Art History, he developed a passion for telling stories in a variety of mediums. Obsessively making lists, reporting celebrity news, and diving into emerging pop cultural topics are a few of his interests.
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.
