Roman numerals were developed in ancient Rome over centuries using the letters of the Latin alphabet, I, V, X, L, C, D, and M. This numerical system was used exclusively in Western Europe until the adaptation and development of the current Hindu-Arabic originated system.

So why are Roman numeral tattoos so popular? Well, for a lot of reasons. For one, in most cases they look a lot better than numbers. They also have a bit more of a mysterious look to them than traditional numbers, which can add a bit more meaning to a tattoo. Someone might want to get a Roman numeral tattoo because it’s very personal to them and they don’t want the meaning to be obvious to others.

In this post we will talk about the history behind the roman numeral and what it means to those that get roman numeral tattoos. It could mean something different to everyone and there are all sorts of variations. We will review some of the different ways we’ve seen the roman numeral tattoo inked and talk about the meaning involved. By the end of this post we hope you feel more comfortable about getting your own roman numeral tattoo.

About Roman Numerals

The Roman system relies on the adding of letters, each assigned a value, in order to create larger numerals. In reality, you can use Roman numerals to represent any type of number, such as a date or a time that is important to you. Some people will even use Roman numerals to represent letters and will “spell” out a quote or a person’s name with the symbols.

Interestingly, because of the development of Roman numerals out of ancient necessities such as trade and mercantilism, there is no symbol for ‘0’. When numbers were used, it was to assign value to something and so zero was not necessary. Of course, factors of 10 are represented in Roman numerals, so absolutely any other number can be used when getting a Roman numeral tattoo.