The owl is a beautiful, unique-looking animal so it’s no surprise that plenty of people have gotten an owl tattoo or plan to. What many people don’t realize, though, is that the owl tattoo has a bunch of fantastic meanings. On this page we will go over some of the most popular owl tattoo meanings and owl symbolism.

The owl is often associated with knowledge and wisdom. In most cases you will find that people will use these two meanings, but whether they are the primary owl tattoo meanings depends on the person. Outsiders will naturally see the owl and assume that the owner of the tat is someone who either seeks wisdom or dishes it out regardless of whether or not that is the reason the person got their owl tattoo. This is something to keep in mind if you do want to get one of these designs.

Owls have been thought of as magical and mysterious creatures as well. In western and central Europe during medieval times, owls were thought to be witches and wizards in disguise. This fable is what sparked the linking of the owl with the world of magic and wizardry. There are quite a few tattoo designs out there to choose from if you want to use the mysterious meanings, but there aren’t too many that look as great as the owl tattoo. It’s one of those “cool” tattoos that is recognized for having those mysterious properties. You can add in a few more design elements around the owl to make the meaning a bit clearer, but it’s definitely not necessary since the owl exudes mystery.

Owls are a nocturnal member of the Srigiformes group of birds. They sleep during the day and are awake at night. “Night owls” – people who do most of their living at night while everyone else is asleep – might find the owl to be a great design for them. If you do want to get the owl tattoo for this meaning, it might be a good idea to add in a night scene around the owl so the meaning shines through a bit more.