20+ Thoughtful Friendship Tattoo Ideas to Choose From (2024)

One common theme in tattoos is friendship, loyalty, and comradery.

This is something that people look for in tattoos and is the source of great inspiration for matching tattoos.

Friendship is easy to achieve with someone, however, it rarely lasts.

These are the kinds of people that you should get a matching tattoo with, or to keep in mind when you receive a tattoo that symbolizes friendship.

We will discuss some of the main tattoos associated with friendship so that if you are looking for a tattoo that symbolizes friendship or comradery, you will be able to successfully find what you are looking for.

Flower Tattoos Symbolizing Friendship

Flower tattoos aren’t just known for symbolizing love and femininity.

Many flower tattoos also symbolize friendship!

Let’s take a look at some of these tattoos:

Daisy Tattoos

Daisy tattoos are known to represent friendship.

For example, yellow daisy tattoos symbolize friendship and happiness, and are great matching tattoos to get with your best friend!

Bee and daisy tattoos symbolize loyalty towards one’s friends.

These tattoos mean that you will do anything for your friends, and once you two are close there is nothing that will tear you apart.

Daisy tattoos, in general, represent extreme loyalty to your friends and family.

Gladiolus Tattoos

Gladiolus tattoos can serve as a reminder of all the good times you have had with your family and friends.

Therefore, you can get a gladiolus tattoo to remind yourself of your friends and to celebrate them.

Yellow gladiolus tattoos symbolize happiness, joy, and friendship.

There’s an added meaning to yellow gladiolus tattoos of brotherhood.

So, not only do they symbolize friendship, but they represent a connection that men have to each other that is so strong they consider themselves brothers.

When daisy and gladiolus flower are together in a tattoo, they represent the great memories two best friends share with each other and how we need to remember them for the rest of our lives.

Tulip Tattoos

Although tulip tattoos do not typically represent friendship, they can in fact symbolize loyalty.

There’s nothing more important in a friendship than loyalty.

Keeping your promises is an important part of friendship because it allows for trust.

Tulip tattoos, therefore, represent friendship, loyalty, and trust.

Lavender Tattoos

Lavender tattoos can also represent friendship.

Especially lavender and dog paw tattoos, which symbolize loyalty and the love between humans and man’s best friend.

Who said a dog can’t be a friend?

These tattoos represent the friendship between people and dogs, but also friendship and loyalty in general.

Matching lavender tattoos mean that you are a highly loyal person who always is there to protect your friends and family.

Orchid Tattoos

Orchid tattoos, in general, don’t necessarily symbolize friendship, however, yellow orchid tattoos in specific do.

Yellow orchid tattoos can represent friendship or starting something new.

This new thing you are starting could even be a friendship.

Therefore, yellow orchid tattoos can represent new friendships or new loyal relationships.

Cornflower Tattoos

Not only can cornflower tattoos symbolize a long-term romantic relationship, but they can represent a long-term friendship as well.

They can be a great tattoo to get if you want to represent a type of friendship that is not brief and short-lived, but rather long-lasting or even eternal.

Animal/Pet and Flower Tattoos

Tattoos with animals and flowers represent friendship because flowers bring out the best qualities of that animal.

Animals and pets can make for great friends and people, as well as their animals, have been known to have lasting friendships with them.

Animal and flower tattoos can represent the friendship that you have with your pet which may be a strong one that will last that animal’s entire lifetime– or yours.

Matching Flower Tattoos

Matching flower tattoos are often received between two best friends.

That’s because flower tattoos, as we’ve seen, can represent loyalty and friendship.

Matching flower tattoos symbolize a long-lasting friendship or a relationship that is based on honesty and trust.

If you have the same tattoo as someone, you sure would wish that person took your endeavor seriously.

That tattoo will remind you of that specific friend forever, so choose wisely which friend you want a matching tattoo with.

Sunflower and Poppy Flower Tattoos

Tattoos with sunflowers and poppy flowers tend to represent loyalty among other meanings such as faith, hope, and happiness.

A poppy flower tattoo with a sunflower tattoo means that your loyalty towards others brings you joy.

If this is the case, then certainly a friendship must bring you a lot of joy.

This tattoo is great for anyone who wants to honor their friends by saying you are glad to have met them and to signify that your friendships mean a lot to you.

Celtic Tattoos Symbolizing Friendship

Flower tattoos aren’t the only types of tattoos associated with friendship.

Many Celtic tattoos can represent friendship because their meanings are that of loyalty.

Almost all Celtic knot tattoos symbolize loyalty because they have no end and no beginning, leading to the thought that you will be loyal to someone for infinity.

Let’s look at specific Celtic tattoos that represent loyalty and friendship:

Shamrock Celtic Cross Tattoos

Shamrock Celtic cross tattoos represent comradery toward your fellow Irish friends and family and loyalty towards them.

These tattoos decorate a Celtic cross with a shamrock tattoo in the center and they mean that you want to show off your Irish heritage in a big way and please your ancestors.

However, they also mean that you share a true friendship with your Irish brothers and sisters, one that is worthy of celebrating.

Tribal Celtic Cross Tattoos

This tattoo is a type of Celtic knot tattoo that takes the shape of a cross and forms it using thick lines and many Celtic knots.

This tattoo has the ancient meaning of infinity and therefore represents an infinite loyalty, which may be shared among friends.

When you are saying that you will be friends with someone forever, that is one tall order.

However, if you mean it with pure sincerity and your intentions are pure, it can make for one amazing friendship– and that is exactly what this tattoo represents.

The Triquetra Tattoo

The triquetra tattoo symbol is also seen as the Celtic knot for friendship, perhaps because of its meaning of harmony and loyalty to one’s faith.

The triquetra tattoo can signify an everlasting bond between two souls that are not necessarily romantically attached, but who are attached spiritually as infinite friends.

Celtic Friendship Knot Tattoo

The Celtic friendship knot is a triquetra with a heart inside of it.

This tattoo is also considered the Celtic symbol for love, but it is interchangeable.

Since it is so aesthetically pleasing, this symbol is often used in jewelry and for decoration.

The Celtic friendship knot tattoo symbolizes the love two friends share for each other and how powerful friendship can be.

Claddagh Tattoos

Claddagh tattoos are also considered great Celtic tattoos for friendship.

The Claddagh tattoo is perhaps the ultimate Celtic symbol for loyalty, with two hands holding a heart together.

Each hand represents one side of the friendship, with the heart joining the two people together.

This symbolic tattoo is meant for life-long friends.

Celtic Infinity Knot Tattoo

One last Celtic tattoo we will mention that symbolizes friendship is the Celtic infinity knot.

This knot tattoo contains many small circles that combine into one.

This tattoo is meant to say that your friendship will last for infinity– it’s that powerful.

The Celtic infinity knot tattoo represents a love for your friends that will last a lifetime.

Other Tattoos That Symbolize Friendship

There are many other tattoos that symbolize friendship, but they don’t necessarily fit into the categories above.

Let’s take a look at the many other tattoos that symbolize friendship and loyalty:

Heart Tattoos

Heart tattoos come in many sizes and shapes, and often symbolize friendship!

Not only can heart tattoo designs represent the intense love for another person, but they can represent the love you have for a friend.

This is especially true with matching heart tattoos, which can be shared between two friends.

In this case, you can make a design that is half a heart and the other friend can wear the other half.

Puzzle Pieces Tattoos

Puzzle pieces tattoos are a fun and unique way to share your friendship.

These are especially awesome as matching tattoos, where the puzzle pieces fit together.

A puzzle piece tattoo can represent how the other person completes you like the final piece of a puzzle.

This type of tattoo means that you believe that your life wouldn’t be the same without them.

Song Quotes Tattoos

There are many types of lettering tattoos that work well to symbolize a friendship.

However, one of the best phrases you can get as a tattoo to represent friendship is a song lyric tattoo.

Nearly every friendship has a favorite song that both friends love to listen to together or love to dance to.

When that song comes on, you both look at each other and know it’s going to be a good night.

Getting inked some song lyrics that represent your friendship is a fun way to remember the good times and keep your friend or friends close to your heart.

Infinity Tattoos

The infinity tattoo means infinity and forever, and this is something that a lot of people seek out of a friendship.

The infinity symbol can mean a lot of things, but one meaning of the infinity tattoo is the forever bond between best friends.

If you believe in your friendship being one that can last the test of time, then maybe you should get an infinity tattoo to show them that you really care.

Roman Numerals Tattoos

Some friendships have important dates that mean something to them.

Some dates, such as the day you two met, or the day you both graduated from college, may be significant.

These dates can be represented by Roman numerals, and can be either done by one friend honoring another or can be done as matching tattoos.

Whatever the significance of the date, these tattoos can represent your friendship in an interesting way.

Connecting Tattoos

There are a lot of cool tattoo designs out there that are a unique kind of matching tattoo.

These tattoos are partial– one side connects to the other with a line or one part completes another part.

These creative kinds of tattoos are perfect for two best friends because they show that when you are apart you are incomplete, but when you are together, you very literally complete each other.

Compass Tattoos

There are many different designs of compass tattoos that can show friendship.

Compass tattoos often are pointed in one specific direction, and for matching compass tattoos that direction should be the same for all the friends involved.

If you are just getting a compass tattoo to show your friend how much they mean to you, it represents that whatever direction you are heading that friend will be by your side and still be with you.

Secret Message Tattoos

What does that tattoo even mean?

Some tattoos have less obvious meanings than others, and these tattoos have a special secret meaning.

This kind of tattoo could be any sort of design– a secret code, something with a double meaning, or it could even be a tattoo representing an inside joke.

These tattoos are highly personalized and have an incredibly special meaning between you and that friend.

Sun and Moon Tattoos

Sometimes, two friends may be close but they are also opposites.

If this is the case for you and your friend, you may want to get a moon and sun tattoo.

This tattoo could have the moon and the sun in its design and represent the relationship you two have with each other.

Or, this could be a set of matching tattoos where one person has the moon, and the other the sun.

You two may be opposites, but you certainly complete each other.

“Always” and “Forever” Tattoo

Some close friends get a tattoo design that includes the words “always” and “forever”, two words that symbolize your permanent attachment to the friendship.

Many of these designs have the words worked into an infinity symbol tattoo since that symbol also means permanence.

This is a popular tattoo for women who have been friends for years and want to make a commitment to their friendship and to each other.

Angel Wings Tattoo

One common set of matching tattoos for two women is angel wings tattoos.

Sometimes, people get the wings tattoo in a certain location on the arm where if you line up each others’ arms, the wings connect.

This tattoo is symbolic of femininity and freedom, saying that you are two women who appreciate each other’s time and company and who share a love of freedom.

Wreath Heart Tattoo

This kind of tattoo design shows a heart that is open and is covered in leaves like a heart-shaped wreath.

This tattoo design symbolizes the love that you and your friend share, and is most commonly found between two women friends.

Wreaths are often hung up on the front door, and therefore symbolize how with that special person you have found a home.

This tattoo also means that you may have shared a home with this friend, or that if you were homeless that would take you into their home in a second.

Friendship Birds Tattoo

This tattoo can be either a one-off tattoo or a matching tattoo with a friend.

Bird tattoos make for great friendship tattoos because birds may travel far distances but they always return home.

This is a great tattoo to get if you and your friend have a great distance in between you, but that distance doesn’t affect your relationship negatively.

This kind of friend is one that you will never lose just because of a silly thing like distance.

Pinky Promise Tattoo

A pinky promise tattoo represents the promise that you have made with your friend to be best friends forever and to always have each others’ backs.

This is not a friend that you would ever let down, because your bond is extremely strong.

This tattoo design has to be at least of medium size and therefore is best placed somewhere on the arm.

Friendship Butterfly Matching Tattoo

This is another matching tattoo where the wings of the butterfly can be placed together to make a full butterfly, such as somewhere on the forearm, shoulder, or wrist.

People will see that you have one butterfly wing on your arm, and know that it matches up with someone else’s.

Therefore, to have a butterfly tattoo, you must be very proud of your friendship and not be afraid to say who it matches with.

Key and Lock Matching Tattoo

If you are looking for a matching tattoo for you and your friend that stands alone but also works as a match, then you may want to get a key and lock tattoo.

All you have to do is choose you is the lock and who is the key!

The design of these tattoos should match each other as well, whether you choose to go old-fashioned or even make the lock part of the tattoo design open a magical door.

Avocado Tattoos

Avocado tattoos are great friendship tattoos to get if the food is a favorite of you and your friend.

Not only that, but avocados are a symbol of love.

The fruit grows in pairs, and pairs of avocados were a symbol to the Aztecs of love, as each avocado pair is like a couple.

Therefore, two friends who each receive an avocado as a tattoo are symbolizing a meaning almost like two peas in a pod– the avocados symbolize friendship and the love that is shared between two close friends.

Palm Tree Tattoos

Palm tree tattoos are symbols of the beach, the ocean, and good times.

If you and your friend have shared a lot of time together by the sea, hanging out on the beach, then this tattoo can be a reminder of those times.

Palm tree tattoos also represent immortality, meaning that in the context of friendship these tattoos represent the fact that you two will be friends for all eternity.

Star Tattoos

Star tattoos make for great friendship tattoos.

Have you ever heard of people following the stars in order to find their way?

Well, friends may find their way to each other through their star tattoos.

These tattoos can be a symbol of always finding a home in that friend and with them, never feeling lost.

They are also beautiful and popular tattoos in general, so make for great matching tattoos.

Yin and Yang Tattoo

A Yin and Yang tattoo has many meanings, including friendship.

The symbol can mean opposites, or two things or people that match together.

In this case, the symbol could mean either, depending on how your friendship usually goes.

Therefore, the Yin and Yang symbol can represent any kind of friendship and is a great design to show how zen the other person makes you feel.

Fractions Matching Tattoos

Some friends choose to get a ½ and 2/2, or ⅓ tattoos that use math to show how each of you completes each other to make a whole.

This tattoo may be good for two friends who like math or went to engineering school together.

However, you don’t have to be a nerd to use this tattoo design!

This matching tattoo could be for any set of friends that want to show that their friendship will last.

Arrow Tattoos

Arrow tattoos in general can represent friendship because they show that whatever direction you are going in, you will be going there with your best friend.

This also can be a great matching tattoo for people who don’t want their tattoos to be obvious that they match.

It’s good to note too that if for some reason, your friendship doesn’t work out, then you just have arrow tattoos and they aren’t so obviously matching.

If you’re thinking about getting matching arrow tattoos then it’s probable that your friendship is a great one that will last.

Arrow Tattoos with Initials

This tattoo design is often two arrows that are crossed and have each other’s initials in between where the arrows cross.

This kind of friendship tattoo means that you want to remember this friend and the friendship you have together for the rest of your lives.

Two arrows that are crossed represent friendship and camaraderie.

Matching or Nah?

The biggest question when it comes to friendship tattoos is if you’re going to do matching tattoos, and if so, are they going to look obvious that they are part of a matching tattoo design?

You can easily get a tattoo in honor of a friend and show that friend after you get it– not all friendship tattoos are matching.

Or, you could both get tattoos to represent each other that don’t match at all: some matching tattoos have completely different designs.

Last, there is the case where two matching tattoos are either the same design or connect in some creative way.

Whatever you decide, make sure that your friend will appreciate your action of getting a tattoo for them or with them, and work on that relationship for the rest of your life– best friends stick together through thick or thin.

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