These 32 Minimalist Tattoos For Families Have Maximum Meaning

Sometimes basic is best. Each family member could have just one heart tat on their wrist, though some sibling sets opt for a line of open hearts, with one filled in according to birth order. To get a little more intricate, you could also get a heart for each family member with each person’s name inked into the heart.

Another popular wrist tattoo design for sibs is a row of triangles. The triangle closest to the hand is colored in for the oldest sibling, the second one for the second-born, and so on. To symbolize family unity, have the tattooed triangles interlinking.

Proud of your place in the sibling lineup? Wear it permanently on your arm, shoulder, or ankle. This is a good option for large families (think: Duggars and Bates), for whom a line of hearts or triangles would start to look like a sleeve.

This traditional symbol can have a number of meanings, including things like peace, conflict, and friendship. A single arrow can represent protection or forward movement, while a group of arrows often means strength and unity — the perfect message for matching family tattoos. Two arrows, when facing away from each other, means conflict, but when they are crossed, this represents friendship or a close bond. Siblings often opt to use the design and add the initials of each person in the spaces between the shafts and arrowheads.

Whether represented through words or numerals, the days you and your sisters and brothers were born are a simple way to show your identity. A lowercase script rendering of the birth year (e.g., "ninety five") looks especially cool, while Roman numerals are a popular choice for minimalist tattoos. They also keep the meaning a bit more obscure since you can’t tell exactly what it is at a glance.

Again, a simple statement, but one that is unique to your family. With initials, you can opt for a more subtle tattoo approach with tiny letters, or go bolder and go large. Your choice of font can reflect your personal or family’s style and be as classic as a typewriter-style or as elegant as flowy calligraphy lettering.

For families who have faced serious illness or crisis (or lost a loved one), a small ribbon is a permanent way to show support and love. You probably already know that pink is linked to breast cancer and a puzzle-piece design to autism, but did you know that a teal and purple combination represents domestic and sexual assault? A navy blue and white pinstripe design stands for ALS because of its association with Yankees great Lou Gehrig. There are numerous colors associated with all different causes.

This is a popular choice among sibling pairs, although it does mean they have to agree on who gets which symbol. ("You're just basking in my glorious light, little sis.") Or, you can forego the sun and moon and choose other planets based on your zodiac signs.

If you’re a fan of the sun and moon idea but want to include more family members, consider having them be the stars to your familial universe. This eternal cosmic trio is great for two parents and a child as well as a set of brothers and sisters. Plus, stars are a nice option for anyone who doesn’t love the idea of a large tattoo. These specks can be as small as a freckle and still hold the same family meaning.

Show your connection proudly and clearly with a one-word statement on your wrist or arm. These are especially cute in matching placements, but they certainly don’t have to be. Make the meaning even more special by getting the tattoo in your sibling’s handwriting.

If you love Hawaii or the Disney film Lilo & Stitch, you know the deep meaning of this simple word. As Lilo memorably said, "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." If you’re looking to represent family unity, what better word is there to get tattooed?

Tiny palm trees on sibling ankles look awesome, and they're a natural choice for sibs who come from Southern states or who live at the beach during the summer. But they also have a deeper meaning: Date palm trees were considered the Tree of Life in ancient times; they can also represent protection, truth, honor, and fertility.

This arrow-like symbol is best known as a military insignia, but Steal Your Style reported that in the ink world, it supposedly means "create your own reality." For siblings, the chevrons can be filled in according to birth order.

Garden-loving sisters can celebrate their unity through a matching floral tat. You can't go wrong with roses, but there are plenty of other options. There are all sorts of meanings associated with different kinds of flowers. Violets stand for loyalty, for instance, while oak trees or leaves represent strength. Pink carnations say "I'll never forget you."

The ancient Taoism symbol represents two opposing halves coming together to form a complete whole, each balancing out the other. If this sounds like you and your sibling, this is the tat for you. This is one matching tattoo especially appropriate for a sibling pair who resonate with feminine and masculine energy: The Yin half represents light, feminine energy, and the lighter Yang represents masculine energy.

Do a little research to learn the gemstones corresponding to your family's birth months, then have your tattoo artist reproduce the stones on all of you. For a truly minimalist option, just use small colored circles (red for July and January, purple for February, etc.). There’s also a set of birthstones that correlate to the zodiac signs, so if you’re not in love with your birth month stone, you have options.

Small and cute, these spotted insects are a lucky sign. They're also a symbol of abundance, balance, faith, forgiveness, and a host of other fortunate meanings. Plus, they make an attractive matching tattoo for you and your family.

For families who can sing the Frozen soundtrack word-for-word and who consider the Disney parks to be their second home, there's one obvious tat option. Just think of the family photos you can snap at Disneyland with your tats on display. Even if you’re not a “Disney adult,” many who grew up watching the films correlate Disney with childhood and quality time spent as a family.

Dating back to the third century AD, Celtic knots are said to represent eternal love, friendship, and loyalty, according to Celtic Wedding Rings. Why? They're drawn with one single unbroken line — a tribute to the eternal bonds of your family.

Yet another option for showing off important dates, years, or your order in the sibling lineup. There are really endless options for what you could represent with matching Roman numeral family tattoos. Whatever the case, it’s a great option to hold these special meanings more privately.

The nautical theme works well for families who either go boating often or who just live for the beach. The wheel, anchor, and compass also represent guidance, stability, hope, and steadfastness, which will appeal to family members who know they can rely on one another even in life's roughest waters.

A popular design among sister pairs is a simple illustration of two young girls, each holding her half of an old-fashioned tin-can-and-string phone. The message is clear: These sisters are separated only by miles, not by hearts. Or, use the tin cans as a representation for any long-distance family members.

The heartbeat tat represents life, and if it's connected to a name or phrase, it implies that you're deeply bonded to them. You and your loved ones could opt to use the heartbeat on its own, or attach it to your last name or the word family. To make it even more meaningful, you can get the actual EKG heartbeat lines of your family members tattooed on.

Remember making those childhood "pinky promises" with your sibs that you swore you'd never break? You can keep that sentiment alive with a tat of two hands crossing their little fingers in a show of support. Now you really can’t break those sacred promises.

One super sweet way to include the parents and children all together is with animals. So choose an animal — say, a bear, lion, dog, or cat — and let the parents be inked with the adult representation while the kids get the cubs, pups, kittens, chicks, or what have you. It’s one big, happy, furry family.

As you might expect, elephants symbolize strength, intelligence, and longevity. Elephant statues and representations are thought to bring good luck. These impressive animals are also closely bonded to their family herds, so a tat of a group of elephants linked by their tails and trunks shows the world that you and your family are an unbeatable group.

Known as matryoshka in Russia, the nesting dolls date back to 1890 and represent motherhood and fertility. This is another good design for a mom and kids; she can have the largest doll, while each child in line has a progressively smaller one. As is nesting doll artwork, these tattoos can be really beautiful in design and color.

The infinity sign, which looks like the number eight lying down, can also represent the eternal love you and your family members share. Many people will get the word “family” inked in as part of the symbol to show that family is forever. It's also small enough to fit on your wrist, ankle, hip, or shoulder.

The place you grow up is likely full of memories and can leave a powerful mark. If there’s a childhood or family home with great significance, consider getting the house number tattooed on. You could use common figures, or opt for Roman numerals so you’re not showing everyone your address if you still live there.

As kids grow up, often this means leaving their home state. Signify the one that will always remind you of home and family with matching area code tattoos. Even if you’re spread across the country — or world — the symbol will remind you of where you came from and who you hold dear.

Represent family in a very literal sense with a family tree tattoo. To make it more personal, have each branch correlate to a sibling or parent. You could have the number of branches match that of family members, or even get each person’s name scripted into the branch.

Even if you don’t love those stick figure family car decals, it makes a fun tattoo idea for moms, dads, and siblings. It’s a very obvious symbol of family that’s instantly recognizable. Plus, you can even include the dog.