Tattoo Meanings
Researching and Interpreting
Symbols Used In Tattoos

Whether you are thinking about your first tattoo or your fiftieth, or if you are just interested in tattoo meanings, this is the site for you.

We all have our own personal reasons for getting tattooed. For some, a tattoo is their trademark – an image that captures a key part of their personality or interests, e.g. a musician gets musical notes, a car buff gets a vehicle picture or logo, or a martial arts expert gets a symbol from their dojo.

For others, a tattoo may be their totem, or lucky charm. Dice tattoos, “Lucky Lady” images, or spiritual images like dreamcatchers, crosses, or animals often fall into this category. Tattoos can also be tributes – a commemoration or memorial to loved ones or specific events.

Whatever the reason for getting a tattoo, one thing is certain: THINK BEFORE YOU INK! As Krakow said, “People select tattoos that make physical – and permanent – their dreams and desires, their inner demons, their worldview” (p. 77). The key word there is permanent. This is an important decision, and should not be taken lightly. Maybe you’ve heard the story of Kari Smith, the young woman who, in 2005, auctioned off space on her face as an advertising site. For $10,000 US, she had her forehead tattooed with the name of an online gambling casino. Reports are that the folks at Golden-Palace.com actually tried to talk her out of it, but “Forehead Goldie” (as she now calls herself) went ahead with the tattoo. Most of us would probably agree that this was NOT a good decision!

Author John A. Rush, in his book Spiritual Tattoo, gives some good advice on selecting your tattoo art: It is important to study the myth connected with the images you choose, and if the images are of your own creation, make sure there is a positive outcome to the story/myth. Your tattooing should tell a story, with a beginning, middle, and end, a story that takes you past the old symbolic references that have bound you to an unhappy, unproductive, torturous existence, a history that you created. You need to build a story that brings you out of the old and into the new. (p. 191)

Wow. That IS serious! And that is why this website exists. To help you learn about the meanings of tattoo symbols. Along the way, we’ll also provide you some background and history about tattoos and the tattooing process – but the main purpose of Tattoo Meanings is to study the story behind the images.

A 2003 Harris Poll discovered that, in the United States alone, 16% of all adults had one or more tattoos (in the 25-29 age bracket, the number was 36%. That’s more than one in every three young adults!). 34% of those with tattoos said it made them feel sexier, while 26% said it made them feel more attractive. Sadly, a small minority (17%) regretted their decision. We don’t want to see that happen to you! If nothing else, we hope to help you avoid making a mistake like the following:

• You think barb wire tattoos are cool, but feel the wire around the arm look is overdone – so you decide to have it tattooed around your neck. Too bad, because that’s a common (though not gang-specific) prison tattoo.

• Your personal totem is the shamrock and your lucky number is “6.” So you design a custom tattoo of a three-leaf clover with a number “6” on each of the leaves. Unfortunately, that’s also the symbol for the Aryan Brotherhood, a white supremacist group.

So, have fun with your tattoos, but be careful when selecting a design.

We think you’ll find this site easy to navigate. Listed below are prominent categories or styles of tattoos. You can click on those to learn more about the genre and, from there, select more detailed pages about specific tattoo symbols (for example, you move from here to the Zodiac page – and from there to specific pages about Aries, Taurus, etc.).

Tattoo Meanings - FAQs

Where does Tattoo Meanings get it's information? Visit the Professor’s Page to find out more and to read tattoo stories!”

What can you tell me about the history of tattoos?

Can’t a tattoo just mean whatever I want it to mean? The meaning of meaning.

Has anybody studied the response people have to tattoos? What are others saying? What are thier opinions?

Tattoo Meanings - Category Pages