50+ Heartwarming Family Tattoo Ideas

For many of us, the greatest love we feel is when we are in the company of our family members. It’s natural to want to express that special love with a design that captures your unconditional feelings. Family tattoos are reminders that no matter how hard times get, you can always count on the ones you love. In some cases, family tattoos are also for those who are mourning a loss. A tattoo can act as the perfect memorial that will keep a loved one’s memory alive with you forever.

We decided to take a look into the family tattoos that people are getting today to get a better understanding of what’s trending. We discovered that infinity symbols and the word “family” were the two most ubiquitous so we decided to feature others that you likely have not seen before. These family tattoos are deeply personal designs reflecting devotion and love.

Get Inspired by These Awe-Inspiring Family Tattoo Ideas!

From a Family Photo

Portraits like these, without faces, are popular among family tattoos. You can turn to an old family photo for inspiration.

Children’s Drawings

Another great idea that we saw often finds a child’s artwork translated in ink into a tattoo. How fun this this?

Characters from Nature

Many people choose animals as symbols in family tattoos. We’ll show you a few examples of this, but this family of foxes is a great place to start.

Nostalgic Inspiration

In this mother-daughter tattoo, we find nostalgic characters from a beloved Disney film. Turn to family favorite movies and more for inspiration.

A Family Tree

Family trees and trees of life are also popular among family tattoos. This one incorporates a heart that looks rather dramatic and visually striking.

Of Those Gone But Not Forgotten

“Until we meet again,” the text beneath this family tattoo says. In memoriam tattoos are very popular and a great way to keep a loved one who has died in your thoughts.

Names of Children

For parents, the names of children are wildly popular. This design sweetens the deal with the addition of two tiny footprints.

In Good Hands

This family of three found the perfect symbol for them in three, interlocking hands. It’s a very interesting design that’s unlike any other hand family tattoos we came across.

Time of Birth

Another very popular family tattoo design is clocks that show the time of birth for children. This person has three with a name of a child in each.

Show It with Florals

Flower name tattoos are hugely popular today. They are cute but know that you will be in very, very good company if you decide to get one.

With Heart

Here’s another trio that has found a way to symbolize their love with little hearts that interlock. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to walk away with a meaningful design.

Remembering Family Vacations

Treasured time on vacation with family is often the source of our fondest memories with them. This portrait finds family members in silhouette. It remembers a great beach vacation.

More Fond Memories

“Family memories,” the person who shared this image captioned it. It’s a bit conceptual but still absolutely beautiful. Think of a memory you shared with your family. This person’s was a trip to a sunflower field.

More Inspiration from Nature

Animals will always be a great idea for tattoos because they celebrate the beauty of our natural world. We find a family of sea turtles in this example, tattooed in a dazzling rainbow of color.

RELATED: 25 Family Tattoos That Celebrate the Ones You Love Most

In Cartoon Form

You can ask your tattoo artist to cartoon-ify your family for a refreshing and playful design. These kiddos look so cute above a heart with a banner that says “love.”

Warm Words of Encouragement

“You are enough,” this family tattoo says above two hands clasped together. If a family member has given you words of encouragement that stuck, consider them for your family tattoo.

Using Symbols

A mother-daughter symbol is the subject of this understated tattoo. This symbol helps tell their story in a simple and sophisticated way.

For Sisters

We’re really into these family hand tattoos. Here’s yet another example of one that’s been encircled by a red thread that symbolizes their bond.

Reminders

The person who got this tattoo explained that these are symbols for her grandparents. She remembers them by the things they loved. How absolutely special and heartfelt.

Care

Okay, so we know we said we wouldn’t be sharing any infinity symbols with you but this one was just too good to pass up. If you’re going to do one, make it as original and creative as possible as this person has successfully done.

Matching Representations

Here’s another scene from nature that symbolizes family. The tattoo artist has duplicated it so that these family members have matching tattoos.

Birthstones

Here’s a really bright idea. You can choose the birthstones for each member of your family for a unique family tattoo. These dazzling gems look beautiful.

Astrology

You can also turn to constellations and symbols from astrology as representations of your family members. We find this tattoo celebrating a Cancer and Tauras.

In the DNA

Here’s an original design that finds a family tree turned into a strand of DNA. We can’t think of a more straightforward family tattoo symbol than that!

A Handprint

We find an indexical image here, a handprint from this person’s child. If you’re thinking of a tattoo for your little one, consider something similar.

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Home

Family is home and home is family. That makes a house a great symbol for your family. It’s where you shared the most important moments of your life. Why not turn it into a family tattoo?

There you go! Now, you should have some great ideas for your family tattoo. Whether or not you plan to get matching tattoos with members of your family, a tattoo is a powerful symbol of love that endures forever. If you want even more tattoo inspiration, we have some more family tattoo ideas to share with you!

25. For His Wife

This tattoo looks just like a photograph. It was snapped at the wedding and the husband has decided that he wants it with him forever in tattoo form. Photorealistic tattoos are very cool but be sure to find an artist who you can trust because they can go wrong very easily!

24. For His Parents

This beautiful image is another photo tattoo that was shared with a caption informing viewers that the subjects were his late parents. The detail in this tattoo is astonishing and the artist should feel very proud of their tidy work.

23. For the Whole Family

Here’s a cute and colorful portrait of the entire family. We imagine this was based on a beloved photograph. We love the way the color for the botanical aspects of this tattoo have been applied to make it appear like an impressionist painting.

22. For His Herd

Now, let’s take a look at some other ways folks are using tattoos to represent their family other than a portrait. These elephants who are holding tails look adorable. Just a simple black line is really nice here.

21. For the Fur Family

We all know that family is what you make it and many of us have a “chosen family.” For this person, her two dogs were the family members she wanted to celebrate most. We can’t argue with that! We love dog tattoos!

20. For Her Kids

Here’s an entire scene that’s been imagined in a unique and original style. The image seems to symbolize that this family will be there for one another with love come rain or shine. The subtle use of blush, peach, and aqua inks really made this design a standout.

19. For New Additions

The moment your baby arrives it feels monumental and miraculous. For many, an indexical memento of the very special time is attractive. Some people take molds of their newborn’s feet while this individual has chosen to press their baby’s foot in ink to capture all the little lines in it. Then, the artist made the ink last forever.

18. For a Mom & 2 Daughters

This tight-knit group, a mom and her two daughter, decided to get some matching hearts. Far from original, this idea is replicated often for a reason. It’s so sweet! Each person has a heart that corresponds to them. There’s a lot of love here.

17. For the Baby Girl

Polaroid tattoos are popular these days as they capture a sense of nostalgia and a lighthearted tone. We find a cute little boy emerging from the frame here. The artist has really managed to capture the joy a child feels when they look lovingly at their parent.

16. For Little Arthur

This tattoo belongs to a parent who really loves their baby, Arthur. A cute little sketch-style tattoo with a watercolor effect gives so much electric energy to the piece. We bet little Arthur will love it now but might not be so proud of it during his teenage years.

RELATED: 27 Dreamy and Breathtaking Watercolor Tattoos

15. For His Son

How about this adorable father-son tattoo with a lovely red background and rose? This feels like a fresh and fun adaptation of other similar tattoos of family members. Elements of neotraditional tattoo design like the lines on the leaves of the flower and the background itself give this design plenty of style.

14. For Precious Moments

It’s amazing how gentle our pets can be with new additions. Here, we find a scene of a baby boy interacting with the family dog and it is just so pure! You can’t get back those precious moments but you can cherish them forever with a tattoo.

13. For the Other Half

Here’s a fun one! We love colorful, cartoonish tattoos so we are big fans of this couple’s design. The pair seem like a fun pair who love to enjoy a beer while flying to their next adventure. The rainbow line at the bottom is a nice touch as well!

12. For Abuela

The person who shared this stunning portrait tattoo captioned the image to let viewers know they were looking at his Abuela. For those of us fortunate enough to have old photographs of our grandparents, portraits inspired by them are great because they will carry over some of the vintage charm.

11. For the Little Dandies

A mom decided to get a tattoo that celebrated her four sons. In the design, the little boys seem to be floating along with a dandelion. To be honest, our allergies are acting up just looking at it, but we appreciate the very original idea.

10. For the Cuddles

What a tender tattoo here of a mother and her two children. The characters are tattooed in subtle and sharp lines. The family members are flanked by botanical themes like flowers and butterflies. We love the clear sweetness of this image.

9. For the Cool Kids

This dad got this tattoo for his two sons who both look too cool for school (actually, they’re just wearing sunglasses). We like the impressionistic style and the neatness of the linework. These two look like a couple of characters!

8. For the Good Times

Tattoos that capture fleeting moments are often the most powerful. We find a tattoo of a child wading in water in front of a landscape. Color has been applied to the child in the tattoo which gives the design so much vibrant life and visual interest.

7. For Ohana

Ohana is a Hawaiian term meaning “family.” We find members of the family wearing the term of endearment in two matching tattoos. For a brother and sister, this is a very sweet idea.

6. For the Greatest Love in the World

Here’s another one of those trendy, watercolor tattoos. We find a mom holding her child in front of a galactic, splattered background. The color choices here are stunning and while it does look slightly like a bruise, it will probably appear much more vivid after healing.

5. For a Couple of Sisters

Paula and Denise are sisters and the subject of this floral-inspired tattoo. We find the pair on a swing looking away from the viewer. Flanked by flowers, it’s clear these two share a love for summer days and time spent in the sun.

4. For His Daughters

This father decided to go the polaroid route, which is a popular chose these days. The half sleeve tattoo looks dramatic and is full of minute detail. Take a look at the portrait of Malia above and you will see tons of tiny dots used to shade the texture of her skin and eyebrows. Malia’s eye is the most arresting aspect of this design for us.

3. For the Three of Them

Here’s a whimsical tattoo that acts as a a representation for this woman’s family unit. We find the humans transformed into cure rabbits. The colorful scene is mostly contained inside of a heart shape. The rich colors pack a punch in this magical design.

2. For His Sister

One brother decided to honor his sister with a highly stylized tattoo design that finds the pair gazing at a passing comet or shooting star. The sister embraces her little brother as they both stare into the night sky. What a touching scene!

RELATED: 25 Tattoos That Celebrate All Things Love for Valentine’s Day with Plenty of Heart

1. For Home

Here’s a clever idea for a family tattoo! This person has gotten a photorealistic design that features the facade of her childhood home. Considering the detail versus the small size, you could consider this a micro tattoo. There’s so much detail for such a small amount of real estate, including light being reflected from the windows on the home. As most of think of home as being synonymous with family, tattoos of the home you grew up in are a smart nod the place that housed the ones you love and the site of so many pleasant, warm memories.

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these family tattoos that celebrate all things love and the people we love sharing our lives with. These tattoos are so inspiring so if you are tempted, come up with your own way to show your family you love them and to remind you of the memories you share with them.