Whether you spot a secret tattoo on a celebrity or friend, or just want to get a meaningful and deep tattoo on your own body, our index of tattoo meanings will help! Yep, we have put in a lot of work here to bring you a definitive list of the most popular tattoos and their meanings.

From bizarre symbols to ancient languages to quirky pop-references that might have otherwise passed you by.

Use our table of contents below to navigate the index and don’t forget to consider the placement, color, and style of the tattoo as well – it’s surprisingly important!

Table of Contents

• Placement, Color and Style
• Tattoo Meaning Index
  • People, Gods & Mythical Beings
    • Mythical Beings
    • Gods & Religious Figures
    • Influential People
  • Symbols and Shapes
    • Minimalist Symbols
    • Religious and Cultural Symbols
    • Other Symbols
  • Words and Numbers
  • Animals, Insects & Creatures
    • Insects
    • Ocean & Sea Creatures
    • Land Mammals
    • Reptiles
    • Mythical Creatures
    • Birds
  • Flowers and Foliage
    • Flowers
    • Trees, Shrubs and Plants
  • Objects
    • Lucky Objects
    • Natural Objects
    • Manmade Objects
  • FAQs

Tattoo Placement, Color, and Style

Before we dig into our very long list of popular tattoos and their meanings, you need to know some other important factors that matter:

• Placement – where the tattoo is on the body has significant meaning, especially if it’s placed somewhere symbolic like over the heart, behind the ear, or in a private area of the body.
• Color – with symbols and flowers especially, the color of the tattoo can completely change the meaning. A red rose symbolizes romantic love and passion, for example, while a blue rose is often used to symbolize unattainable love.
• Style – certain tattoo styles carry further meaning. A black panther could represent a connection to nature and prowess when inked in the American Traditional style… or it could just be a homage to Marvel’s Black Panther movie! The style is a good indicator of meaning here.

You can’t always guess what a tattoo means just by looking at it. To ask someone what their tattoo means, first try to start a conversation about their tattoos in general. “Hey man, awesome tattoos!”