The butterfly emoji 🦋 usually means transformation, hope and new beginnings, because a caterpillar becomes something beautiful. Dictionary.com says it can also mean you've got a crush, thanks to 'butterflies in your stomach'. And since December 2023, Emojipedia says, people use 🦋 to point to the social platform Bluesky, whose logo is a blue butterfly.
Few emojis carry as many hopeful meanings as this one. You'll see it on recovery posts, birthday captions, nature photos and dating app bios. Lately you'll also see it in profile names as a signpost that someone's moved platforms. Here's how to tell which meaning you're looking at.
What the 🦋 emoji looks like on your phone
Emojipedia describes it as a butterfly with its wings outspread, shown as either a blue-and-black morpho or an orange-and-black monarch depending on the platform. Dictionary.com says Google, Microsoft and Facebook based theirs on the monarch, with orange wings, while Apple and Twitter went with the blue morpho. Emojipedia adds that Samsung's used to look like a monarch too.
That split is big enough that Unicode is addressing it. Emojipedia says the draft Emoji 18.0 list includes a separate monarch butterfly emoji, and Unicode's latest emoji-test file already lists it right after the original butterfly. So soon you'll be able to choose orange or blue on purpose.
The main meanings of 🦋
| Meaning | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Transformation | A caterpillar wraps itself in a chrysalis and emerges with wings | Six months sober today 🦋 |
| Hope after a hard time | Dictionary.com says it's used to encourage people that things will look up | It gets better 🦋 |
| A crush or new love | Butterflies in your stomach | Can't stop smiling after last night 🦋 |
| Beauty and nature | Nature lovers post it when they see one | Look who visited the garden 🦋 |
| Bluesky | The platform's logo is a blue butterfly | Find me over there 🦋 |
Butterflies in your stomach
The crush meaning comes straight from an old phrase. Merriam-Webster defines butterflies as a feeling of hollowness or queasiness caused by nervous tension or anxious anticipation, and its example is someone who gets butterflies before going onstage. Dictionary.com notes that because that feeling also comes with new love, the emoji can mean you're falling for someone.
So '🦋' after a date story is a good sign. It pairs well with a rose or a heart if you want to make the romance obvious.
Hope, change and fresh starts
Dictionary.com says the butterfly is associated with positive transformations, hope during a dark time and new beginnings. It's often used in posts about life getting better after a hard time, and to encourage people who are struggling. It notes that, while it isn't officially tied to the It Gets Better campaign for LGBTQ youth, people often include it alongside those words.
Parents use it too. Dictionary.com says they'll add 🦋 to mark changes in their children's lives, like a first day at a new school. It's a gentle emoji, which is why you'll see it so often on milestone posts.
Why 🦋 now means Bluesky
This is the newest meaning. Emojipedia says that since December 2023 the emoji has been used to reference Bluesky, because the platform's logo is a blue butterfly. You'll spot it in display names and bios, often as a quiet way of saying 'I'm over there now'. If you're curious about the platform itself, my comparison of Bluesky vs Twitter explains how they differ, and there's a guide to getting verified on Bluesky too.
The 2017 butterfly moment
Dictionary.com has a fun bit of pop culture history. It says Nylon magazine declared the butterfly emoji 'a thing' in 2017 after seeing it in posts by models and influencers, and credited rapper Travis Scott, who'd released the song 'Butterfly Effect' that year. Dictionary.com adds that Kylie Jenner and Scott traded butterfly emojis on Twitter, which got the gossip magazines going.
That's a good example of how emojis spread: one famous account uses one in a playful way, fans copy it, and within weeks a picture of an insect has a celebrity back story. Most people using 🦋 today have no idea about the 2017 moment, but it helped make the emoji feel stylish rather than childish.
It also notes that, Scott aside, the emoji is often used in posts by and about women, because butterflies are widely linked with femininity.
Where the word butterfly comes from
The word is older than you might guess. Merriam-Webster dates butterfly to before the 12th century. Wiktionary traces it to Old English buterflēoge, literally butter plus fly, and points to cousins like Dutch botervlieg. One theory is that it began with yellow or cream-coloured species.
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Wiktionary also busts a popular myth: butterfly didn't come from an earlier word 'flutterby', however nice that sounds.
Butterfly emoji combinations
- 🦋✨ with sparkles: a glow-up or a fresh start.
- 🦋💙 with a blue heart: often a nod to Bluesky, or simply calm and hope.
- 🦋🌸 with a blossom: spring, nature and new beginnings.
- 🦋😳 with a flushed face: someone's got a crush and can't hide it.
If you're writing captions for a brand, the butterfly is a lovely choice for launches, rebrands and anniversaries, because it says 'we've changed' without sounding pushy. Just remember that in a bio it may now be read as a Bluesky signpost.
Before you send a symbol you are unsure about, the tongue emoji guide is worth a look.
When the butterfly emoji arrived
Emojipedia says it was approved as part of Unicode 9.0 in 2016 and added to Emoji 3.0 that year. Dictionary.com says it arrived alongside other wild creatures, including the fox, eagle, bat, duck, owl and shrimp. Unicode lists it as U+1F98B in the Animals and Nature group, next to the snail.
Different age groups read emoji differently, as the nail polish emoji guide shows.
Frequently asked questions
What does 🦋 mean from a girl or a guy?
Usually hope, a fresh start or a crush. In a bio, it may also signal they use Bluesky.
Why do people put 🦋 in their name?
Emojipedia says since December 2023 it's been used to point to Bluesky, whose logo is a blue butterfly.
Does the butterfly emoji mean love?
It can. Dictionary.com says 'butterflies in your stomach' makes it a sign of a crush or new love.
Why is the butterfly emoji blue on some phones and orange on others?
Platforms based it on different species: the blue morpho or the orange monarch.
When was the butterfly emoji added?
Emojipedia says it was approved in Unicode 9.0 in 2016 and added to Emoji 3.0 that year.
Did butterfly come from flutterby?
No. Wiktionary says that's a popular myth; it comes from Old English buterflēoge.
