Some of your favorite celebrities have incredible tattoos with even better meanings behind them!
A ton of celebrities are tatted up, but some people may not know the meaning behind the work of art that is permanently on the celebrity’s body.
These are the top 30 celebrity tattoos that win our hearts in terms of design concept and meaning.
Paris Jackson
Out of all of the tattoos that Paris has gotten, this is probably the coolest one yet!
Paris got the 7 Chakra signs tattooed down her sternum.
What exactly are chakras? Well, The Chopra Center says that the chakras refer to the wheels of energy in the body. “Each of the seven main chakras contains bundles of nerves and major organs as well as our psychological, emotional, and spiritual states of being.”
Prince Jackson
Prince Michael Jackson got this incredible tattoo of his late father, Michael Jackson, to pay tribute to the amazing entertainer and father he was.
The tattoo features the iconic MJ pose and outfit, complete with angel wings.
In his Instagram post, Prince said that it took 9 hours for this beautiful tattoo to be finished!
Lady Gaga
In 2016, Lady Gaga got this tattoo design on her upper left shoulder, to symbolize unity when it comes to survivors of assault.
She actually went to the tattoo shop with a number of the survivors and they all got matching tattoos!
This was at the time of Lady Gaga’s emotional performance of her song ‘Til it Happens To You,’ at the 88th Academy Awards. The song talks about the topics of assault on college campuses.
‘The Rock’
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson shared this side-by-side photo on his Instagram page, this past August.
In the post, he went into the story of the full transformed tattoo on his right arm.
“From the cracks and heavy damage in the bone representing life’s hard lessons I’ve learned over the years. Just like scars and wrinkles – I’m so grateful to have ’em because they’re earned.
To the horns, not pointing up or out to the side, but pointing straight ahead representing relentless energy and forward progress. The core and anchor of this image is in the eye. Look closely and you’ll find the life, energy, power and you’ll feel the MANA (spirit). The eye tells the story of a disruptive positive energy always ready to dent the universe. Depending on the light and angle, sometimes the energy’s subtle and sometimes it’s glaring. But it’s always alive and ready to disrupt the universe and love and protect my family and all things I love with intense passion and gratitude.”
Selena Gomez
Back in 2014, Selena got this tattoo on her birthday, on the upper right-side of her back.
Selena’s tattoo is in Arabic and means to “Love Yourself First.”
Halsey
The specific tattoo we’re focusing on is Halsey’s upside-down horseshoe on her right arm.
Halsey talked about her tattoos with iHeartRadio and explained all of their meanings. When it came to the upside-down horseshow, Halsey said: “In tattoo culture, you’re not supposed to tattoo a horseshoe upside down because it means all the luck is spilling out, so it’s actually bad luck. I got an upside-down horseshoe to signify that I don’t need luck. I work really, really hard, and I believe in the stars aligning, but I don’t believe that anything happens to anyone based out of sheer luck.”
Her hard work seems to be proving true with how successful her career is!
Lily Collins
Lily Collins has some beautiful tattoos, but the message in this one is what we all need to hear.
She posted on Instagram about her tattoo she got while traveling through South Korea, saying: “A beautiful keepsake from an incredibly memorable Korean adventure. Self-love is the most important kind.”
Lily is an advocate for self-care and self-love, so it makes perfect sense why she would get this tattoo.
Kat Von D
The famous tattoo artist, herself, Kat Von D has her recognizable mini star tattoos surrounding her left eye.
In an interview with Yahoo, Kat explained that the star tattoos are “a symbol of being able to be heavily tattooed and still carry yourself in a feminine way.”
She also has expressed her love for Motley Crue’s song ‘Starry Eyes’.
Cara Delevingne
The lion tattoo on her hand is Cara’s first ever tattoo!
Cara has spoken about her tattoo saying, “I’m a Leo. It’s the first tattoo I got. I grew up being fearless in everything. I just used to climb anything.”
Drake
Drake is known for having the faces of many all over his body. But this one is of his father.
Drake captioned this one: “mini portrait of my father.” But according to his tattoo artist, Dr. Woo, it’s actually a mugshot of Drake’s father.
Lucy Hale
This Summer, Lucy Hale paid a visit to Dr. Woo and got this lightbulb tattoo.
Lucy spoke with Refinery 29 about her most recent tattoo, saying: “The meaning of my name is light, so I actually have a light tattooed, too, that Dr. Woo did years ago.”
Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd has a good amount of tattoos, but one type, in particular, is bird-themed.
Cher has a bird on her right arm and a birdcage on her left arm to commemorate her late uncle.
She explained to DailyMail UK, back in 2013, why she got the bird tattoos. “I remember growing up my uncle always had birds, and I thought that it would be interesting to do something different other than getting his name tattooed on me. I thought there was something special about leaving the cage door open and having the bird fly out the other side.”
Sarah Hyland
Sarah Hyland decided to use symbolism with this one.
She based her tattoo off a Robert Frost quote: “The best way out is always through.”
Katy Perry
Back in 2015, Katy Perry gave an iconic half-time performance at the 49th Annual Superbowl.
The Roman Numerals, XLIX, stand for 49, and she got them to remember a major moment in her career.
Adam Levine
Adam Levine is known for his hundreds of tattoos covering his body, but he does have one on his upper right chest in particular.
That tattoo is Sanskrit for the word “tapas”.
Back in 2013, Adam told People “A few years ago I fell in love with yoga. The word ‘tapas’ stands for fire … passion … This keeps me connected to something that changed my life.”
Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham has had tattoos before, but she shared on Instagram that this was her first ever original piece.
“This is my first original piece by a female tattoo artist and it felt sacred and cool and she didn’t chide me for copying @badgalriri‘s placement.”
Lena claims that this tattoo is her ‘warrior’s chest plate’.
Pink
The legendary Pink has had her fair share of tattoos and she got this tattoo when she was only 15!
The meaning of this back tattoo of an angel chasing a shooting star is that Pink, herself, is the star and she’s being followed by her guardian angel.
Ariana Grande
Back in 2015, Ariana Grande announced her 4th tattoo of a crescent moon outline, right below her ear, on her neck.
The tattoo pays homage to her song ‘Moonlight’.
Sam Smith
Sam’s tattoos are so simple yet so perfect.
The equality sign was tattooed on his wedding ring finger to signify his views on equality and gay marriage.
Lea Michele
Lea Michele got this simple, yet artsy cup of hot coffee tattooed on her ring finger on her right hand to commemorate her late grandmother.
In her Instagram post, Lea said: “I lost my beautiful grandma this week… She wasn’t your typical grandma. She gave me my first cup of coffee when I was 8 years old. She said something inappropriate to every boyfriend I’ve ever had. She never made pie or knit me a sweater. But she was my grandma and I loved her… More than anything… I love you, Grandma.”
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne is one of the few celebs out there that can rock the half-shaved hairstyle. But Kelly put a twist by adding a tattoo that says the word: ‘Stories’.
Kelly’s tattoo is connected to her very own fashion line: Stories by Kelly Osbourne. While relating the tattoo with the clothing line, Kelly told TattooDo: “I believe that every time you wear something, you have a story of where you wore it, whether it be good or bad.”
David Beckham
David Beckham has dedicated many of his tattoos to his wife and children. Specifically the image of the woman on his left arm, which he got in 2007.
This woman is a ‘Brigitte Bardot’ style image of his wife, (and one of our fave Spice Girls) Victoria Beckham.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore’s ‘Breathe’ tattoo on her left arm was done in a stencil-font.
The tattoo is for her to remember to be level-headed and embrace calmness. Which I’m sure with her hectic career and busy life, is a lovely reminder for her to see daily. It also reminds us of her wonderful “Just Breathe” moment in Ever After: A Cinderella Story.
Kesha
This tattoo of a Narwhal came from a night that Kesha will always remember, Halloween.
Kesha based her idea off of her Halloween 2016 costume, which she did post on Instagram.
The Narwhal onesie was actually a gift from one of her fans, so she decided what better way to wear it as a Halloween costume. And might as well get it permanently inked on her arm.
Simone Biles
This past Spring 2017, Olympic gymnast, Simone Biles got her very first tattoo!
And what better tattoo for her to get than the Olympic rings on the outer part of her right arm.
Miley Cyrus
If you follow Miley on social media, you know how much of an animal lover she is.
She got this tattoo to always remember her beloved dog, Floyd, alongside her friends she included the medallion outline with the ‘with a little help from my fwends’.
Demi Lovato
Right next to her ‘Faith’ tattoo, Demi has a flock of birds flying upwards.
To Demi, the birds are a symbol of freedom. In the past, Demi had struggled with alcoholism and took part in an Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program. The 12-step program connects beautifully with the tattoo design, as there are 12 birds in total on her arm.
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Jenner only sports red tattoos. In this one specifically, she got the name ‘Mary Jo’ as it is her grandmother’s name.
But the signature is actually written in her grandfather’s handwriting. Aw! This is so special!
Rihanna
The tattoo right below Rihanna’s chest is a tribute to her late grandmother.
Rihanna said on Instagram, back in 2012, “Goddess Isis- Complete Woman – Model for future generations- #GRANGRANDOLLY – always in and on my heart #1love.”
Nicki Minaj
The tattoo on the left arm of Nicki Minaj is her first and last tattoo the rapper ever had done!
When young Nicki was just 16, she decided to get the Chinese tattoo that translates to “God is always with you.”
