75 Emotional Memorial Tattoos, Designs, & Inspiration - Tattoo Me Now (2024)

With all their different designs and styles, Memorial Tattoos are probably among the most popular tattoos requested. Even when not stated as a memorial tattoo, many times that what they represent to the wearer. Memorial tattoos are the perfect way for those who wear body art to permanently memorialize the departure from their life of someone or something they love. See some of the most requested memorial tattoos below.

Types of Memorial Tattoos

Military Memorial Tattoos

Military memorial tattoos are most often seen on someone for the loss of a service member. As a memorial, this tattoo design serves as an everlasting tribute to your loved one. A retired service members also get military memorial tattoos as a memorial for the end of their service time for their country. Ideas for military memorial tattoos for the fallen are very personal due to their nature.

For the end of service military memorial tattoos, you may consider the military branch like the Army with the date of entry and retirement date. Add something that you specialized in, such as a camouflage satellite dish for communications.

Firefighters Memorial Tattoos

Firefighter memorial tattoos are inked for many reasons. Some firefighter’s memorial tattoos are seen in the memory of their lost one and quite often as a reminder of lost firefighters for their heroism in the line of duty.

An idea for firefighter’s memorial tattoo design is to add the station house number as the background with the name and dates of birth and death with the badge number. The idea for firefighter’s memorial tattoos for the line of duty can be a New York fireman’s a hard hat with station numbers in the background, and two axes crossed to the sides, and then “Sept 11 We Will Never Forget” at the bottom.

Breast Cancer Memorial Tattoos

Breast cancer tattoos are seen on both men and women. The pink looped ribbon logo serves as a reminder for breast exam checkups.

As for breast cancer memorial tattoo ideas, the pink ribbon can have angel wings added, or even a butterfly will add a lovely accent. For many asking for these memorial tattoos, they have already lost a loved one to breast cancer. Because of its hereditary nature, the despair and continuing fight do not stop after the loss. It continues down through the family. Many families continue to support breast cancer research for themselves and in memory of those who have died. It is a perfect tattoo for these families.

Add the name of people who have passed in your family to the tattoo design. It doesn’t even have to be a family member. You may have a friend or coworker who fought the fight and lost. Include names, dates, unique items you shared, but always show the pink ribbon with the loop. It has almost become an international sign. Promote it if you can.

Pet Memorial Tattoos

Pet memorial tattoos are a great design to remember your pet forever. Most pet owners are very attached to their pets, and the loss is tough to get over. This is when these tattoos can help during this difficult time.

A simple idea for pet memorial tattoo design is a picture of your pet looking at you with its name under the image. The use of flowers, play toys, a collar, or any personal items finish this tattoo fine. Be sure to shop for a tattoo artist who has a great reputation for their portraiture abilities and skills. Bring a picture with you and ask to see photographs and the pet memorial tattoos they’ve created for other people.

Memorial Tattoos for Mom

Memorial tattoos for mom are sad but will make you smile for years to come. It’s as if she is with you and looking after you even after she is no longer with you. A hummingbird in flight caught in a freeze-frame with head and the bill pointing down with two yellow flowers to the side of it, and the word mom on the opposite side running top to bottom is a great idea. You can also incorporate any personal items into the tattoo design. The vertical use of lettering and the font you choose will modernize your mother’s memorial tattoos.

Memorial Tattoos for Dad

Memorial tattoos for dad in remembrance of the times you had together can be a fun tattoo design to ink. An idea here could be your dad’s favorite sports team, work logo, or item that you saw him with during the years you grew up. We’ll use a Green Bay Packers hat as the base of this design for memorial tattoos for dad. Try adding Dad’s name under the cap and date of birth with any personal items he used in everyday life.

Memorial Tattoos for Grandpa and Grandma

Colors, Sizing and Placement

Colors for Memorial tattoos can be done in single dark ink with a lot of shading to add depth and look great. For some people, the color will bring energy to their memorial tattoo designs. Military memorial tattoo designs may have camouflage colors, reds, black, yellow, and white. Firefighter’s commemorative tattoo colors may be black, red, and white. Tattoos for mom, dad, and pets will range in true-to-life colors. The breast cancer tattoos have bright pink looped ribbon.

Sizing and placement for these tattoos are usually in small to medium size. Military, firefighter, pet, mom, and dad tattoo designs are normally mid-sized, look great on the shoulder, chest, arm, and lower leg. Any of these tattoos look great in a large size on the back.

Breast cancer tattoos are usually in a small design in a visible place like the neck, forearm, back of the hand, upper chest, or lower leg.

Designing a Memorial Tattoo

If you need help designing your memorial tattoo, the best thing I could tell you in this department is to talk to your tattooer. Maybe your first inclination would be to get a Cross or the name with dates. That’s cool but kind of basic. Maybe go a different direction because you’ll remember those dates forever.

I had a customer who had a niece that died. I told him, rather than just putting a bunch of numbers and dates on you, what is something about your niece that reminds you of her?

He said that they were hiking one time, and she put a forget-me-not flower on her sweater, and for some reason, he remembers her by that.

I was like, well, let’s do a forget-me-not.

End of the day, it’s a lot cooler looking tattoo than a bunch of dates and text on your arm.

Get something that’s going to remind you of that person. There are probably hundred different ways to do a memorial tattoo, and they are all good. I would suggest you sit down with your tattooer and talk and see if they can come up with some ideas. Because maybe they think of a bunch of stuff you had never thought of and turn your idea into a more fantastic design.

End of the day, get something cool that’s going to put a smile on your face and remind you of that loved one who passed away.

More Memorial Tattoo Designs & Ideas