45 Tattoos That Honor A Lost Loved One And Help Start The Healing Process

Grief and loss can be incredibly difficult to navigate, especially after the death of a loved one. For many people, memorializing their lost friends or family members can be a cathartic process, and something that helps them deal with their grief. A memorial can take many forms, but for some, tattoos can feel like the perfect way to remember someone you love. Their permanence can be appealing, along with the fact that you'll always be carrying the reminder with you. The wonderful thing about tattoos is that they are symbols, and symbols can hold many meanings — some of which can be deeply personal. 

A 2022 study published in the academic journal Mortality showed that "memorial tattoos play a beneficial role within the grieving process and ... serve as a positive therapeutic tool." Tattoos, for those who have or want them, can also be seen as beautiful pieces of wearable art, and who doesn't want something beautiful to remember someone by? 

Though she did not share the final product online, Vanessa Bryant got a commemorative tattoo in honor of her late husband, basketball player Kobe Bryant, and their daughter Gianna, who both tragically passed away in a helicopter accident. Her tattoo artist said via Instagram that giving Bryant the tattoo was so she had "something to keep with you." 

Actress Billie Lourd got a memorial tattoo for her mom, the late actress Carrie Fisher (via Teen Vogue). The gesture was made all the more special because of what she got tattooed. Lourd opted to get a design matching a tattoo of planets and stars Fisher had on her ankle. Sharing a tattoo design with a loved one who has passed away is a unique way to remember them through how they chose to adorn their own bodies when they lived.

The number five is a meaningful symbol for actress Lea Michele because her late co-star and boyfriend, Corey Monteith, wore a jersey with the number five when he played Finn on the hit show "Glee." Monteith tragically passed away in 2013, and this subtle but meaningful tattoo seems like a wonderful way for the actress to remember him.

The wonderful thing about a tattoo is that you can choose literally whatever symbol is most meaningful to you. In this example, something like a favorite mug for a coffee or tea-loving individual can be a great way to immortalize their memory.

Most pet owners can agree that it always feels like your pet is the cutest or best pet in the world. A 2021 study published in NeuroImage found that the bonds between pets and their owners can sometimes mirror that of parents and their infant children. This is why a portrait tattoo of your best, furry friend seems like a great way to remember them.

When symbols just won't do, portrait tattoos are a great option for commemorative tattoos. However, given that not all tattoo artists specialize in realistic portraits, which is often what comes to mind when someone refers to a portrait tattoo, there are many other illustrative styles that can capture the likeness of a loved one.

Because tattoos dedicated to mothers are often traditional, it may be difficult to feel like you've really made it your own. While a more timeless style is always an option, choosing to use another language (in this case, the Tagalog word for mother, "nanay") when honoring a loved one who's passed away can feel special and unique to your culture.

Stylized portrait tattoos might look and feel illustrative and "cartoon-y" to some, so if a portrait is your choice of memorial tattoo, you may want to consider opting for a realistic style, as it can accurately capture the likeness of the person you're memorializing.

Grief can conjure up many negative feelings, so sometimes it's important to remember the life of your lost loved one. The individuals we love and cherish have great qualities and quirks that we can look back on fondly, like this tattoo that seems to honor someone who loved to bake.

Butterflies are often associated with transformation and growth, as they are the result of a caterpillar's transformative evolution. However, some people have reported that in times of loss, butterflies have made their presence known, almost as if they're a loved one trying to communicate from beyond the grave. 

When you think of matching tattoos, you may think of young love and youthful displays of friendship. However, finding comfort at a time of tragedy and grief often involves spending quality time spent with friends or family. Getting matching tattoos to commemorate someone you've lost could be a wonderful way to grieve and heal together.

Though some would advise against tattooing another person's name on your body, a memorial tattoo of someone's name feels like an apt way to honor their memory. A name holds so many memories and captures an identity, so having it tattooed might make it feel like that person is with you always.

Whether you are choosing someone's favourite flower, or a flower that represents someone's birth month, a floral design is a subtle and beautiful symbol that can carry a lot of meaning. There are specific flowers you may want to choose in your tattoo design to convey your grief, but these symbols are also what you make of them, so choosing a flower that is most meaningful to you is best.

A constellation tattoo can be made personal based on a loved one's astrological sign. The star as a symbol also represents hope, life, death, and resurrection, so it seems to be a fitting symbol to remember and grieve someone you've lost.

Like dragonflies and butterflies, some people have reported spotting deer shortly after someone's death, interpreting an unusual animal spotting as a message from a deceased loved one. Perhaps one way to remember the memories and the essence of a lost loved one is through a symbol like a deer.

Historically, coins have been used to represent the safe passage of a loved one into the afterlife — think of it as a toll fee. Coins on gravestones also have a significant meaning to people in the military, so a tattoo of a coin might be something to consider when thinking of a way to memorialize someone who was once in the military.

Music has long been a source of comfort for those who are grieving. Song lyrics are also often tattooed, so bringing the two together to honor a loved one seems like a no-brainer for someone seeking a commemorative tattoo.

Many people continue to celebrate a loved one's birthday long after they've passed, to remember the life that they lived. Focusing on a loved one's life, rather than their death, can be a way to shift perspective and try to begin to heal from grief.

Actress Angelina Jolie famously had the coordinates of where her children were born tattooed on her arm. However, this tattoo idea can certainly extend beyond this meaning and symbolize special locations that were significant during the life of a loved one.

Something as simple as a paw print can serve as a great reminder of the physical presence a beloved pet once had and the space they occupied in our world. Through a tribute tattoo like this, one can look forward and remember the space their pet will always hold in their heart.

Roses are symbolic of so many things, including love, friendship, and grief. A rose tattoo feels like a great way to memorialize someone's passing and also work through your grief. Like a rose, mourning is a multi-faceted and complex experience.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, Zelda Williams paid tribute to her late father — actor, and comedian Robin Williams — with a micro-realistic hummingbird tattoo on her hand. She captioned the post with a dedication to her "poppo," thanking her tattoo artist for "so beautifully bringing my reminders to life" (per E! News).