Logo Symbols

Almost every animal, plant, shape and object used in logo design has some or other deeper, symbolic meaning. What that meaning is depends on who you ask and when they lived. Thoughout history and cultures different people have assigned different meanings to objects. Some are fairly universal - like the bee being viewed as a positive symbol - while others are much more complex - like the cat which is viewed as very positive in some cultures (Epgypt) and negative in others (China). It pays to do some research before you settle on your new logo! Here is a list of logo-related symbols arranged from the most positive to the most negative.

 

 

Symbol Our "goodness" rating, based on current use and historical symbolic meanings
   
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Symbol Ranking Bar
bulletEagle
20
bulletHorse
19
bulletCross
19
bulletBee
18
bulletMountain
16
bulletAlbatross
15
bulletBull
15
bulletBird
14
bulletCastle
13
bulletBell
12
bulletAnchor
11
bulletBook
11
bulletBridge
11
bulletChain
9
bulletAcacia
8
bulletArrow
7
bulletBeech tree
7
bulletBirch Tree
7
bulletButterfly
5
bulletAlmond
4
bulletAnt
4
bulletArcher
4
bulletArmor
4
bulletAxe
4
bulletBamboo
4
bulletCentaur
4
bulletAngel
3
bulletApple
3
bulletApron
3
bulletArch
3
bulletArk
3
bulletBox
3
bulletAcorn
2
bulletAzalea
2
bulletBanner
2
bulletBarley
2
bulletAnkh
1
bulletAntler
1
bulletAss (Donkey)
1
bulletAnvil
0
bulletApe
0
bulletAdder
-1
bulletBadger
-1
bulletBreasts
-1
bulletBear
-2
bulletBones
-4
bulletBat
-5

It's Somewhat Subjective

We realize that our ratings are somewhat subjective. We tried to incorporate views from different cultures and also from different times in history, balancing it all out to form a rough idea of the "goodness" of a symbol. Meanings assigned to symbols used in modern logos are largely contributed by Andre le Roux who, at the time, had 17 years experience in logo design.

Our ratings do not represent our attitude towards a particular symbol, but rather an attempt to estimate the validity or appropriateness of the symbol for use in commercial logo design in today's world.

Please consider that this study included much research into the historical meanings of symbols and as such may be offensive to some. No doubt that the meanings assigned to symbols historically can include significant sexual and racial bias, for example. The meanings presented in this study do not represent the opinions of Biz-Logo nor of Andre le Roux. The historical aspect is offered for your reference.

You are invited to have your say. Click on a symbol above and use the comments section to share your view.

 

 

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