Meaning
A mythical being with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish, the merperson typically features a human torso with a flowing tail of shimmering scales in blues, greens, or purples. Many designs include a crown, trident, or other regal oceanic accessories, emphasizing the creature's connection to the sea. The hair often flows dramatically, and the overall aesthetic evokes both beauty and the mysterious depths of the ocean.
The merperson is used when discussing mermaids, mermen, and maritime folklore from cultures worldwide. People reference this emoji when talking about fairy tales like "The Little Mermaid," discussing mythology, or sharing fantasy content. Beyond literal use, it appears when people invoke the ocean, sea creatures, or underwater magic. The merperson also shows up in contexts celebrating aquatic or fluid identity—particularly in LGBTQ+ communities exploring fluidity and transformation.
On social media, the merperson is popular in ocean conservation discussions, fantasy fandoms, and creative communities. It works both as a reference to specific stories and characters and as a broader symbol of maritime wonder and otherworldly beauty. People use it in beach-related posts, swimming discussions, and when celebrating nautical aesthetics or interests.
The merperson's design balances human and aquatic elements, though specific tail colors and regal accessories vary by platform. This character has roots in legends spanning from European folklore to Asian and African maritime traditions. Approved as part of Unicode Emoji 5.0 in 2017, the merperson gave users a dedicated symbol for one of mythology's most enduring archetypes.
Common Uses
- • Discussing mermaids and maritime folklore
- • Sharing fantasy and ocean-related content
- • Celebrating underwater magic and wonder
- • Beach, swimming, and aquatic contexts
Popular Combos
Did You Know?
Unlike the gendered fairy and vampire emojis, the merperson base version is officially presented as gender-neutral, though most platforms render it with traditionally feminine features—reflecting how mermaids have dominated Western cultural imagination despite mermen appearing in folklore worldwide.
Keywords
Skin Tones & Variants
Related Emoji
Technical Reference
Platform Shortcodes
:merperson: :merperson: :merperson: Developer Codes
| HTML (decimal) | 🧜 |
| HTML (hex) | 🧜 |
| CSS | \1F9DC |
| JavaScript | \uD83E\uDDDC |
| Python | \U0001F9DC |
| Java | \uD83E\uDDDC |
| Perl | \x{1F9DC} |
| PHP / Ruby | \x{1F9DC} |
| Punycode | xn--2rx8 |
| URL Encoded | %F0%9F%A7%9C |
| UTF-8 Bytes | 0xF0 0x9F 0xA7 0x9C |
🧜 in 28 languages
Names sourced from Unicode CLDR and emojibase.
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| Bengali | মারপার্সেন |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 人鱼 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 人魚 |
| Danish | havvæsen |
| Dutch | zeemeermin |
| English | merperson |
| English (UK) | merperson |
| Estonian | näkk |
| Finnish | merenväki |
| French | créature aquatique |
| German | Wassermensch |
| Hindi | मत्स्यमानव |
| Hungarian | sellő |
| Italian | sirena |
| Japanese | 人魚 |
| Korean | 인어 |
| Lithuanian | undinius |
| Malay | manusia duyung |
| Norwegian | havperson |
| Polish | syrena |
| Portuguese | pessoa sereia |
| Russian | русалка |
| Spanish | persona sirena |
| Spanish (Mexico) | persona sirena |
| Swedish | vattenväsen |
| Thai | ครึ่งคนครึ่งปลา |
| Ukrainian | казкова водяна істота |
| Vietnamese | người cá |