Dragonfly Tattoo Ideas – The Tattoo For Change (50+ Tattoos)

The dragonfly tattoo is a great choice for all kinds of tattoo lovers – the ones that want a small delicate tattoo, or the ones that want a statement piece full of detail.

This beloved insect has long been held as a sign of good things to come and a positive message from passed ones, making it a perfect tattoo design for a memorial tattoo.

Let’s dive deeper into the world of dragonfly tattoo ideas – and what they represent!

Every Tattoo Has A Story – Dragonfly Tattoo Meaning

For many, seeing dragonflies means the summer is here.

Living on every continent but Antarctica, these insects are instantly recognizable by their large bodies.

Dragonflies have a very specific build that used creatively in dragonfly tattoos – depicting four long, horizontal wings and a long thin body.

These nature’s small helicopters fly vertically around bodies of water reaching speeds of up to 35 miles an hour.

Around 7,000 species of true dragonflies are alive today, and, together with the closely related damselflies, they form the group Odonta, which goes back 325 million years.

As for their meanings around the world, dragonflies have been a staple element with a specific symbolism in different countries:

In Japan –
- for warriors, the dragonfly called katsumushi (meaning the ‘invincible insect’), stood as a beloved symbol of strength among Japanese warriors. Dragonflies could be found on Japanese Samurai warrior armour as they were symbols of bravery and strength.
- in the after life, Japanese also believed that dragonflies carried the souls of loved ones who had passed.
In Sweden – in this society it is believed that dragonflies actually have a darker meaning when getting closer to a person – they would hover nearby to measure the purity of your soul.
In China, this insect has a different meaning since dragonflies are directly tied to monetary gain and indicate financial prosperity, good luck, and an improvement in investments.

So with all this taken into account, how can we narrow down the meaning of dragonfly tattoos?

Their meanings boil down to:

great change and transformation,
good fortune,
harmonious life,
enlightened version of self,
health and wellbeing, for two reasons – in many cultures, a dragonfly flying into the house means illness will pass and good health is coming your way; also these insects require stable oxygen levels and clean water, scientists consider them reliable bioindicators of the health of an ecosystem
spiritual rebirth, as adults live only about a month, it means a new and stronger self follows the pain and discomfort of growth,
souls of those who have passed

Best Dragonfly Tattoo Placements

Dragonfly tattoos have a great versatility in terms of size and style, even though we see them mostly in a delicate small size.

In the small size, we see the dragonfly wrist tattoo as a very common option, especially for women, to honor and remember their passed loved ones.

Dragonfly hand tattoo can also be a beautiful option for a small tattoo, as the elongated insect can perfectly fit on the hand diagonally or vertically aligned.

While we’re mentioning the elongated form, we cannot forget the dragonfly spine tattoo, that fits perfectly in the nook below the neck, with the dragonfly wings spreading towards the shoulders, and the body of the insect going down the spine.

Dragonfly Tattoo Ideas

To help you with your research for your next tattoo design, we went on a hunt through Instagram to find the best dragonfly tattoo ideas.

Take a look below to check them out all:

Small Dragonfly Tattoo

Above we have explained some common small dragonfly tattoo options, but in the gallery below we show other amazing dragonfly tattoo designs:

A collarbone dragonfly tattoo or front shoulder dragonfly tattoo, done in either black and white or in color, is an elegant addition to your tattoo collection with a deep meaning.

Dragonfly Tattoo For Women

When it comes to looking for a dragonfly tattoo for women, we can find exquisite and elegant designs to inspire us.

Fineline style definitely comes to the forefront as the most popular choice of women, however, many others have amazingly feminine features such as realistic tattoos, blackwork tattoos and others.

Dragonfly Tattoo For Men

It might seem rare to see a dragonfly tattoo for men, but this little animal has great symbolism rooted in men’s culture, like for the great Japanese warriors.

It’s a great fit as a medium tattoo on the forearm or chest, and furthermore can be done on the back, leg and torso.

Flower Dragonfly Tattoo

Flowers naturally attract dragonflies – water lily, iris, yarrow, cattail, black-eyed susan, sage and other native plants will successfully bring them to your garden, but also make a great combination for your tattoo!

A flower dragonfly tattoo can be done with whatever flower you resonate with, though.

Especially if you’re using the dragonfly as a way to honor a dear one that has passed, you might want to use their birth flower next to the dragonfly for the memorial tattoo.

Traditional Dragonfly Tattoo

The dragonfly shape lends itself amazingly to the old school tattoo style.

It has been an old staple of the American traditional tattoos, and it has maintained its relevance into the modern neotraditional version of it.

The traditional dragonfly tattoo is often done with vibrant fun colors, but it also glows in black and white version.

Watercolor Dragonfly Tattoo

To cool off, dragonflies will skim the surface of a pond or lake as it helps them to reduce their body temperature.

Because of that, they are closely related to water and the watercolor tattoo style.

Commonly done with splashes of blue, watercolor dragonfly tattoo thrives in small and medium sizes for the inner forearm, shoulder and chest.

Realistic Dragonfly Tattoo

Realistic dragonfly tattoo is chosen by both men and women, and it is done in all shapes and sizes.

There are thousands of species of dragonflies, which makes the realism a very versatile style to make it your own – in color or not.

Tribal Dragonfly Tattoo

Tribal dragonfly tattoo is not seen very often, making its appearance all the better.

To have space to develop all the shapes and twirls, it is often seen in a medium to large size, using the long body parts such as the forearm or upper arm to its advantage.

Blue Dragonfly Tattoo

In nature, there are many blue dragonfly species, some of them being the blue dasher, emperor dragonfly, and double-striped bluet.

A blue dragonfly is often seen as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge, across North America.

Using bright blue ink in a dragonfly tattoo gives it a special shine, and in an abstract style makes it a great vibrant tattoo.

Red Dragonfly Tattoo

Some cultures mark the red dragonflies as specifically special – the Japanese consider them even more sacred, offering a symbol of courage, strength and happiness.

On the other side of the world, the Native American believe red dragonflies can “bring a time of rejuvenation after a long period of trials and hardship.”

Red-veined darter stands out as the most famous red dragonfly, and is used for the red dragonfly tattoo inspiration very often.

Neck Dragonfly Tattoo

Neck dragonfly tattoo is a great choice for the bolder tattoo lovers, as its shape makes it a great fit for the visually obvious placement.

The wings can span across the side neck or the throat, and the tubular body travels down the neck.

Back Dragonfly Tattoo

The back dragonfly tattoo as seen below works incredibly well in all sizes.

The small multiple dragonflies hover elegantly across the shoulder plates and the spine; the large intricate dragonfly lays majestically in the T-shape across the upper back and flows down the spine.

Are you looking for a custom dragonfly tattoo design? We got you.

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Our expert tattoo artists will provide a quick initial draft to get you going.
Happy inking ❤

Milena Petrovic

Co-founder of Tattoo Stylist

About the author

Milena has decided to start an organization that will create a safe environment for everybody to get their first, second or third tattoo and to encourage young people to transform their ideas into tattoos safely, with talent and vision.

You can find her writing about tattoos on Quora or updating our Pinterest profile with awesome tattoo ideas!