Source: @mikestatuering via Instagram

The most common significance associated with heart tattoos is love, however this is far too broad a concept to be of real use when examining the symbolism behind the wide variety of heart tattoos.

In today’s world, both tattoo artists and body art enthusiasts often choose heart tattoo designs with deeper and more complex significance.

Courage, loyalty and friendship are characteristics commonly associated with heart tattoos; on the other hand a black heart might symbolize the antithesis of these positive traits.

More and more people are also choosing to use an anatomical heart as the centerpiece for their heart tattoos with some interesting results. For some folks, by using an anatomical heart they can highlight the pain of lost love by adding other elements like a piercing arrow or dripping blood.

The origins of the heart tattoo can be traced back to old American traditional tattoo design: the tattoo lover would often get a heart tattoo accompanied by a scroll featuring the name of a lover or family member as a way to show their regard for that loved one to the world.

They were also linked to bravery with the dagger heart tattoo popular with servicemen that served in conflict, from World War II onward.

Besides fraternal and romantic love, the heart tattoo design also has deep significance in religious traditions, notably the sacred heart in the Catholic Church. One of the most important religious symbols in Catholicism, the sacred heart represents the actual heart of Jesus Christ and is depicted in a variety of ways.

The unmistakable shape of the heart means that even for someone unfamiliar with human anatomy the significance of the design is clear as day.

These excellent heart tattoos use a variety of styles and approaches and demonstrate that for a man or woman, on the chest or the wrist, an anatomical approach to heart tattoo design is a great choice.