If you’re looking for one great butterfly tattoo meaning, then you’re in luck! There are quite a few meanings to choose from, so chances are you will find one that fits your personality.
On top of that, there are a ton of butterfly tattoo designs to choose from, which means that you will probably have both a design and a meaning or two that you like by the time you reach the bottom of this page!
About the Butterfly
You’ve probably seen a gang of different butterflies but did you know there are over 17,500 species of butterflies in the world that we know of? There are around 750 species in the U.S. The butterfly is part of the Lepidoptera class of insects which includes insects with large wings that are scaly. The most common butterfly in the U.S. is the Cabbage White. Even though they have that name, they are identified by the two black marks on the top of their wings.
Another well known butterfly that we see a lot is the Monarch. Monarchs actually migrate during the cold weather but it’s not to mate, it’s just to escape the cold weather. They will go a long way to avoid it too. They will travel over 2,500 miles to avoid the cold weather and that’s more than any other insect travels. Although the Monarch travels more than any other insect, they aren’t the only butterfly to flee the cold weather. Other butterflies like the Red Admiral, American Lady, Clouded Skipper and Cloudless Sulfur leave as well.
The sad part is the North American Monarch butterfly is one species of butterfly is impacted the most by climate change. If you don’t think it’s real, look at these stats to help convince you.
Butterfly Tattoo Meaning
Butterfly tattoos are a very popular choice for both men and women, though they are a bit more popular with women. They can be used to symbolize rebirth, love, transformation, grace, nature, or femininity. These popular butterfly tattoo meanings can be used together or separately depending on the owner of the tattoo. In a way, those butterfly tattoo meanings work very well together and are perfect for a woman who is proud of her femininity and also has the strength to get past the tough times in her life.
The transformation symbolism is easy to detect as butterflies start their lives as caterpillars and after undergoing a process called metamorphosis emerge anew as beautiful, winged creatures. This can also be considered a rebirth. Even though most people decide to get the butterfly alone in their tattoos, using both the caterpillar and the butterfly could make this meaning a bit stronger. This is a great butterfly tattoo design for someone who specifically wants to use the rebirth meaning over all of the other butterfly tattoo meanings.
The butterfly can also remind us to keep our faith or keep moving while we undergo transitions in our lives. This is the type of butterfly tattoo meaning that can be used by both sexes equally. Everyone runs into moments when they have to be able to commit to making big changes, and the butterfly tattoo can serve as a reminder to do so with your head up. This is one of many great inspirational tattoo meanings that people use these days.
The origination of the idea of a butterfly representing love comes from the Balkan Peninsula. In Greek the word butterfly is known as psyche, after the Goddess of the same name. Psyche was often depicted with wings and per Greek mythology fell in love with Eros, or Cupid, the Greek god of love, desire and affection. The word psyche translates to “soul” thus further linking the butterfly to humans. Even though there are a lot of popular love tattoos out there, the butterfly tattoo can be a great one since it isn’t as obvious, a subtlety some people would prefer.
The soul symbolism is also said to be the case in Christianity as ancient Christian tombs have been known to depict the beautiful winged creatures. This belief has also been adopted in Asia, Mexico, New Zealand and Zaire. The butterfly is not usually seen as a religious tattoo, but religious meanings can certainly be used. If you did want to use this meaning, it might be a good idea to use other images around the butterfly to make it have a bit more of an impact on outside observers.
Grace, nature and femininity can be seen by the look and temperament of a butterfly. They are beautiful, fly with grace and ease and are generally delicate and gentle. These are the most popular butterfly tattoo meanings and can be used in just about any butterfly tattoo. Even if you don’t know these meanings when you get the tattoo, they are always there. Of course, when people look at a butterfly, they often think about its grace and the fact that they are classic symbols of femininity.
Butterfly Tattoo Variations
There are several different variations of butterfly tattoos, with Tribal and Celtic being the most popular because of their unique designs. Other variations include Gothic-this type uses darker undertones and can depict a loss of freedom or innocence; Ulysses- a native to Australia, often used to aesthetic purposes; Monarch- the most well-known type of butterfly, it is said to represent the return of the spirits of lost loved ones; and “butterfly eyes”- this style uses the designs on the wings to mimic the look of eyes.
Another butterfly tattoo we’ve been a fan of is when they are used to represent a friendship. One friend will have half a butterfly tattooed on their body while the other person has the other half. When bringing these two images together you create one beautiful tattoo. The meaning represents the relationship the two of you have. There are many ways to do this but the butterfly has the softness that all relationships should have.
The meaning can change with butterfly tattoos depending on their placement on the body. For example, when placed on the shoulder blade it represents the dreamer whose head is in the clouds; on the chest it can mean unconditional love for all things and on the lower back can signify stability, survival, and trust. If you care a lot about your tattoos’ meanings, then you will definitely want to think long and hard about where you want to place your butterfly tattoo. When placed properly, you can have five or six meanings that work perfectly for you.
As you can see, there are plenty of great butterfly tattoo meanings and designs to choose from. Regardless of the meanings that you use, you can expect to have a tattoo that looks beautiful and that you will be happy to have for the rest of your life. It is a classic tattoo choice that should continue to be one of the most popular designs for years to come.
When you go to find your tattoo artist, have a consultation and sit down with them. This is the time where you get to know the artist and see if they are a fit for you. If you are having trouble finding an artist that will work for you, let us know. We have years of experience in helping match customers and artists and we hope you will let us work for you too