Mermaid Emoji
U+1F9DC U+200D U+2640 U+FE0F:mermaid:Skin tonesAbout Mermaid π§ββοΈ
Mermaid () is part of the People & Body group in Unicode. Added in Unicode E5.0. Type on GitHub and Slack to use it. Click copy above to grab it, paste it anywhere.
Works in iMessage, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, and every app that supports Unicode. Pick a skin tone above to customize it.
Often associated with creature, fairytale, folklore, and 5 more keywords.
Meaning varies across cultures, see cultural notes below.
Scroll down for the full story: meaning, trends, combos, and more.
How it looks
What does it mean?
A mermaid: a mythological woman who is human from the torso up and fish from the waist down. The emoji represents fantasy, the ocean, feminine mystique, and one of humanity's oldest mythological archetypes.
Added as part of the fantasy person expansion in Emoji 5.0 in 2017, alongside fairies (π§), vampires (π§), elves (π§), genies (π§), and zombies (π§). The merperson was one of several proposals (L2/16-274, L2/16-304) to bring fantasy and fairy tale characters into emoji.
The emoji became culturally significant again in 2023 when Disney's live-action Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey as Ariel triggered both celebration and controversy. Black parents posted TikTok videos of their children seeing a Black Ariel for the first time, and Bailey described being "in a constant state of awe" at the reaction. The mermaid emoji spiked in usage during the film's release as a symbol of representation in fantasy storytelling.
π§ββοΈ thrives in aesthetic and fantasy content. The "mermaidcore" trend on TikTok and Instagram uses it alongside πππͺΈ to curate ocean-themed visual identities. Fashion, makeup, and home decor content tagged with mermaidcore features iridescent colors, shell jewelry, and aquatic themes.
Beyond aesthetics, the emoji represents freedom and mystery. Mermaids in folklore are creatures who live between worlds, bound by neither land nor sea. People use π§ββοΈ to express feeling free-spirited, connected to nature, or unbounded by conventions. It's also the go-to emoji for beach vacations, swimming, ocean conservation, and marine biology content.
On Dictionary.com, the mermaid emoji is noted as being used for "feminine beauty" and "personal expression" by people who identify with the mythology. For some, π§ββοΈ is an identity, not just an image.
It represents a mermaid: fantasy, the ocean, feminine beauty, and mystery. People use it for mermaidcore aesthetics, beach content, Little Mermaid references, swimming, and as a compliment for someone's beauty and grace.
Not originally. In Greek mythology, Sirens were bird-women, not fish-women. Modern culture has merged them, but the π§ββοΈ emoji represents a mermaid (fish tail) specifically. The conflation happened over centuries of storytelling.
What it means from...
If your crush sends π§ββοΈ, she's either at the beach, embracing mermaidcore aesthetics, or calling herself a mythical creature. All of these signal someone who values freedom and beauty. Calling someone a mermaid is always a compliment.
Between partners, π§ββοΈ is affectionate. "My π§ββοΈ" is a pet name for someone beautiful and slightly mysterious. It also appears in vacation planning ("beach trip! π§ββοΈ") and swimming content.
Among friends, π§ββοΈ is either aesthetic hype ("that outfit is so mermaidcore π§ββοΈ"), beach plans ("pool party π§ββοΈ"), or a compliment for someone's grace and beauty.
Kids who love The Little Mermaid use π§ββοΈ constantly. Parents use it for beach trip announcements and swimming lessons. In many families, π§ββοΈ is a daughter's favorite emoji.
At work, π§ββοΈ is rare. It might appear in casual channels during vacation announcements or themed events. Not standard workplace communication.
From strangers, π§ββοΈ in a bio signals someone who identifies with mermaid aesthetics, ocean culture, or fantasy. In comments, it's a compliment about beauty, grace, or a specific mermaid-like quality.
Flirty or friendly?
Mermaids are inherently associated with allure and beauty, which gives π§ββοΈ more romantic potential than most fantasy emojis. Calling someone a mermaid is a compliment about their beauty and mystique. But it's also widely used for aesthetics, the ocean, and fantasy without any romantic intent.
- β’'You're a π§ββοΈ' = compliment about beauty. Could be flirty depending on who says it.
- β’π§ββοΈ in a beach photo caption = aesthetic, not romance.
- β’'Be my π§ββοΈ' = definitely flirty. They're casting you in their fantasy.
It can be. Mermaids are associated with beauty and allure. Calling someone a mermaid is a compliment about their beauty and mystique. But it's also widely used for aesthetics, the ocean, and fantasy without romantic intent.
Emoji combos
Origin story
Mermaid mythology spans virtually every coastal culture. The earliest known mermaid story is the Assyrian goddess Atargatis from around 1000 BCE, who transformed into a mermaid out of shame after accidentally killing her human lover. Greek mythology gave us the Sirens, whose songs lured sailors to their deaths. Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" softened the archetype into a tragic love story. Disney's 1989 animation made it fun.
The emoji itself came from Unicode's 2016-2017 push to add fantasy characters to the emoji set. The merperson (π§) was designed as a gender-neutral base, with male (π§ββοΈ) and female (π§ββοΈ) ZWJ variants. Each platform renders the mermaid differently: Apple shows a green-tailed figure, Google gives her orange tones, Samsung uses blue. No design references Ariel specifically to avoid copyright issues.
But Ariel is inseparable from the emoji's cultural life. The 2023 live-action Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey brought the mermaid emoji back into the spotlight. The casting of a Black Ariel sparked both celebration and racist backlash (#notmyariel). But the response that mattered most was the TikTok videos of Black children seeing themselves in Ariel for the first time. Representation in fantasy matters, and the mermaid emoji carries that weight.
The base character π§ (Merperson) was added in Unicode 10.0 (2017) and Emoji 5.0. Codepoint . The female variant π§ββοΈ is a ZWJ sequence: + + + . Derived from proposals L2/16-274 and L2/16-304. Part of the fantasy person expansion that also included fairies, vampires, elves, genies, and zombies.
Design history
- 2017Merperson (π§) and gendered variants added in Unicode 10.0 / Emoji 5.0
- 2017Part of the fantasy expansion alongside fairies, vampires, elves, genies, and zombies
- 2023Disney's live-action Little Mermaid with Halle Bailey reignites mermaid emoji usageβ
Around the world
Mermaid mythology exists across almost every culture with a coastline, but the creatures aren't always the same. In West African Mami Wata traditions, water spirits are powerful and sometimes dangerous. In Japanese folklore, ningyo (δΊΊι) are fish-like creatures whose flesh grants immortality. In Slavic traditions, rusalki are ghostly water maidens. The emoji defaults to the Western Disney/Hans Christian Andersen archetype: beautiful, half-fish, and probably singing.
The 2023 Little Mermaid casting controversy revealed how deeply the mermaid archetype is tied to race and beauty standards in Western culture. The overwhelmingly positive response from Black families, contrasted with racist backlash, showed that even fantasy creatures carry real-world representation stakes.
The mermaidcore aesthetic trend is primarily Western and Gen Z. It's an extension of the broader -core aesthetic movements (cottagecore, goblincore, dark academia) that use fantasy archetypes for personal style expression.
A TikTok/Instagram aesthetic trend combining iridescent colors, shell jewelry, ocean-blue tones, and aquatic themes. π§ββοΈππ is the core combo. It has billions of views on TikTok and extends to fashion, makeup, and home decor.
Culturally, yes, though the emoji design doesn't reference Ariel specifically (copyright). The 2023 live-action film starring Halle Bailey boosted the emoji's cultural significance, especially around representation in fantasy storytelling.
Often confused with
Merman (π§ββοΈ) is the male counterpart. Same mythology, different gender. Less commonly used because mermaid mythology is more prominent in pop culture.
Merman (π§ββοΈ) is the male counterpart. Same mythology, different gender. Less commonly used because mermaid mythology is more prominent in pop culture.
Gender. π§ββοΈ is female (mermaid). π§ is gender-neutral (merperson). π§ββοΈ is male (merman). Use π§ββοΈ for mermaids specifically, π§ when gender isn't relevant.
Do's and don'ts
- βUse it for mermaidcore aesthetic content
- βUse it at the beach, pool, or near any body of water
- βUse it to compliment someone's beauty or grace
- βUse it for fantasy, mythology, and Little Mermaid references
- βDon't use it to call someone 'fishy' or untrustworthy. That's a different metaphor entirely.
- βDon't ignore the representation aspect. After the 2023 film, the mermaid emoji carries real meaning for many Black families.
Caption ideas
Aesthetic sets
Type it as text
Fun facts
- β’The earliest known mermaid story dates to approximately 1000 BCE, making mermaids one of humanity's oldest mythological archetypes. They appear in Assyrian, Greek, Japanese, West African, and Slavic folklore.
- β’Disney's 2023 live-action Little Mermaid earned $569 million globally. TikTok videos of Black children reacting to Halle Bailey as Ariel became some of the most emotionally powerful viral content of the year.
- β’In Japanese mythology, the mermaid equivalent is the 'ningyo' (δΊΊι), whose flesh is said to grant immortality to anyone who eats it. Much darker than Disney's version.
- β’The mermaidcore aesthetic has over 10 billion views on TikTok. It's one of the most popular -core aesthetics alongside cottagecore and dark academia.
Common misinterpretations
- β’Some people use π§ββοΈ to mean 'siren' (a creature whose song lures sailors to their deaths). While Sirens and mermaids have been conflated in modern culture, in Greek mythology they were actually bird-women, not fish-women. The emoji represents a mermaid specifically.
- β’The emoji is sometimes used as a generic 'swimming' emoji when people can't find the swimmer emoji (πββοΈ). Mermaids swim, but they're not swimmers. The distinction is fantasy vs sport.
In pop culture
- β’Disney's 2023 live-action Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey became a representation milestone. CNN covered the historic significance of a Black Ariel, and viral TikTok reactions from Black children made Bailey say she'd "been sobbing every day."
- β’Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" established the tragic love story archetype that Disney later softened. The original ends with the mermaid dissolving into sea foam, not marrying the prince.
- β’The mermaidcore aesthetic trend turned the mermaid from a mythological figure into a fashion and lifestyle brand. On TikTok, mermaidcore encompasses iridescent makeup, shell accessories, and ocean-blue color palettes.
Trivia
For developers
- β’ZWJ sequence: + + + . Four codepoints.
- β’Skin tone modifiers: + skin tone + + + .
- β’Discord: . GitHub: . Slack: .
- β’Gender variants: π§ (neutral), π§ββοΈ (male), π§ββοΈ (female).
- β’Part of the Emoji 5.0 (2017) fantasy expansion. Requires iOS 11.1+, Android 8.0+.
The merperson was added in Unicode 10.0 / Emoji 5.0 in 2017, part of the fantasy character expansion alongside fairies, vampires, elves, genies, and zombies.
Yes. All five Fitzpatrick modifiers. The 2023 Little Mermaid casting made skin-toned mermaid emojis especially meaningful for representation.
See the full Emoji Developer Tools guide for regex patterns, encoding helpers, and more.
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