The anchor tattoo has been around longer than most designs, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a cool tattoo to get right now. The reason why this design continues to be so popular is because there are so many great anchor tattoo meanings out there and a whole bunch of great designs to choose from.

Some of the same anchor tattoo meanings that were used hundreds of years ago still work today, plus there are plenty more new meanings that you can use. On this page we’ll take a look at the history of the anchor and some of the most popular anchor tattoo meanings.

While the anchor is usually associated with those who work at sea, it has been around for a very long time and has been used for a variety of reasons. Some people have gotten the anchor because they have family members who are on the sea, while others simply love the overall symbolism of the anchor. Regardless of why someone gets an anchor tattoo, it is usually extremely meaningful to them and they are proud to have this tattoo.

Initially used during the early days of Christianity, the anchor was used to disguise one’s religious beliefs to prevent them from being persecuted. It is said that the anchor also represented Jesus’ connection with the sea as many of his disciples were fishermen. People still get anchor tattoos for this reason, though they will usually add in a few more designs if they are using it as part of a religious tattoo. In fact, those who are creative can easily turn their anchor into a cross simply by manipulating the anchor just a little bit.

Some scholars believe that the anchor symbolized the feminine and masculine; the bottom half of the anchor representing the female and the rod representing the male counterpart. This was a popular belief in Egypt where the anchor is similar to the Anhk, which is the Egyptian symbol for life. Those who want to get a tattoo to represent quality might love this anchor tattoo meaning. It’s not necessarily a meaning that will be clear to everyone, though, so more design elements might be necessary to make the meaning clearer.