The teardrop tattoo has grown in popularity in recent years thanks to the fact that quite a few famous people, including rapper Lil Wayne and singer Amy Winehouse, have gotten one. Most people see the teardrop tattoo as one of the most recognizable prison tattoos, but the fact is that it can have many other different meanings as well. It’s certainly not a tattoo for everyone, but for some people it is the perfect way to express how they feel.

Initially the “stick and poke”-style teardrop tattoo was placed underneath the eye, representing shedding a tear. What’s interesting about this is that you really have little information about the person with the tattoo besides this. You can’t really assume what the meaning is, either, since it can range from being very dark to the very sad. Most people do still assume that there are negative meanings attached to the teardrop regardless of who’s wearing it, but the fact still remains that it can hold a wide range of meanings.

The teardrop tattoo is a symbol that has had negative connotations since it is most often associated with gangs and criminal activities. However, in more recent years the symbol has retained its antisocial origins but has become trendy or topical to some who receive the tattoo for reasons other than crime.

This tattoo is generally placed on the face underneath one or both eyes especially when it is intended as a symbol of one’s crimes, but it can be placed anywhere and often is designed for small areas of the body like the fingers.

Popular Teardrop Tattoo Meanings

Often the teardrop tattoo is meant to indicate that the individual has committed murder. People in prison often have these tattoos both as a symbol of pride and to keep other prisoners from messing with them. In some cases you will see that people will get a teardrop tattoo for every murder that they have committed, so there are sometimes three or more teardrops in a line going down the sides of their faces.