215 Cool Tattoo Ideas And Inspo You'll Actually Like

"For my pup! She’s my absolute everything! She always has one ear up and one ear down."

—rileya49cd7d02e

"A cat skull tattoo with its left tooth chipped in honor of my childhood cat, Angel, that passed away."

—mglover96

"Little froggy tattoo!! I had been wanting to get my first tattoo for a while, and an artist I follow posted this as a flash design. I thought it was adorable and I was tired of waiting for the “right idea.” To me, this represents doing something for myself just because I wanted to - it’s okay that doesn’t have some deeper meaning! It’s okay to do things that you like, just because they make you happy :)"

—Nicole Stone

“Fearless isn’t the absence of fear. Fearless is living in spite of the things that scare you to death.” Living with a progressive, chronic illness is terrifying from the unknowns, but I continue choosing to live in spite of the fear and my struggles. The heart came from the signature I received when I met Taylor Swift 5 years ago. She has been a constant in my life since 2006, getting me through the hardest times. I love that I carry a permanent reminder of that magical day."

—Brittany

"My baby girl. I got it one year after she passed away. She lived to be almost 15 and she was my world. I am so lucky I got that time with her."

—Jeremy Juarez

"I'm a book lover at heart!"

—mcfeec3

"My best friend drew this tattoo for me – they're my favorite flowers, and it's actually her hand that's holding them (she has little heart tattoos on that spot on her hands). It has so much meaning to me because it's a way that she'll always be with me." —ahyespuns

"Spider-Man / Peter Parker has always held a special place in my nerdy heart and I’ve always wanted to get a comic book strip style tattoo of him and @ben_ochoa tackled perfectly! The perspective is awesome. I also have Miles Morales on the other side, and Spider Gwen coming soon!" —CaliNerd81

"This was to commemorate my cat who passed away unexpectedly. He was my best buddy and I wanted to be able to carry him around with me always. The artwork is Edward Gorey, one of my favorites." —Jay

"I love Minions and especially King Bob. So, he will forever rule on my leg." —Irishtats2021

"After a breakup from a toxic relationship, I needed to have something to remind myself who I am."

—damedu_lac

"It’s a sound wave of my late mother saying, 'Hello Raye, I love you.'"

—Raye Raye

"Got this tattoo of heather flowers as a dedication to my little sister as soon as I turned 18. Absolutely in love with it and it makes me feel close to her even though I moved out." —katiedscollon

"I like getting tattoos as souvenirs when I travel. This is one of my favorites that I got in Edinburgh, Scotland." —katekosowiec

"It’s inspired by the first lines of 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'! Picture yourself in a boat on a river. With tangerine trees and marmalade skies." —emmaz4a4f824e9

"My tattoo artist replicated a picture I had taken out of an airplane window while flying over the Andes Mountains. That trip was so special to me, and this was the perfect way to memorialize it!"

—fayebethh

—leowoods

"I’ve been obsessed with Star Wars my whole life, and I love the idea of space ship schematics in general, so this was perfect."

—nataliepipahl

"This is Pablo the Penguin. He’s my most recent tattoo from 2018! He’s my absolute fave of my seven tattoos."

—pengispoon81

"My two-faced tattoo. Some random guy chose it for me, and I absolutely love it."

—mnewlin

"My homage to California. The artist is from there, too, so it made it that much more special."

—twilliamson01

"My T-Rex tattoo is a reminder to always be fearfully great."

—carlystephen0709

"Mandala, my amazing artist, wanted to do this one. He’s done almost my entire sleeve of tattoos that all have significant meaning, so letting him do something he wanted was a no-brainer!"

—kayleighknell

"My muses. Credit to @girlknewyork."

—slydogandleo

"I got this butterfly in honor of my grandma after she passed away. She loved butterflies and wanted me to get one for her. I added my own flair to it. It's also a cover-up because I had some pretty intense scarring from a previous tattoo because the artist put red ink in, and I'm highly allergic to red tattoo ink."

—lyndsayanne90

"Olives are my favorite food, and now I can quite literally extend the olive branch." —emalynw

"This is my most recent one, done on my upper arm. The drawing is a cartoon panel from Gunnm (Battle Angel Alita). The main character is one of the only fictional heroes I admire and identify with. To me, she symbolizes how women can be strong and empathic and kind, all at the same time. I feel like her determined gaze in the image says it all."

—annih43

"It's an homage to my career as a costume designer and my collection of dress forms."

—courtneysuterg

"My Breaking Bad piece."

—emilyv482cb7030

"My whole life I have felt a connection to the Vermeer painting 'Girl with a Pearl Earring.' Now I have her with me forever. ❤️"

—allyc491

"My beautiful lil' tiger! I’ve always loved them, and to me they symbolize feminine strength and power."

—golddustniamh

"My The Lion King tattoo. I love this movie so much, and it's practically my life philosophy: Mistakes hurt a lot, but learning from them is even better."

—viqui543

"Done by Cody Moore at Alchemy Tattoo Collective in St. Louis."

—kmyshu

"I don’t have any heartfelt stories to go with this. I really love fountain pens and writing things by hand, so I got a wee fountain pen nib. Out of 40+ tattoos, this one takes the cake for me."

—lisad25

"Inspired by Princess Mononoke."

—kaityhutch

"My mom passed away from pancreatic cancer. Flamingos were her favorite. My sister, aunt, cousin, and I all got flamingos in honor of her. Each of us has our own flamingo to represent her."

—melia4

"Wearing the color yellow around my grandpa was an inside joke between him and the grandkids. Whenever one of us would wear yellow, he would tickle us until we laughed so hard that we could barely breathe. I got this tattoo of one of the yellow sunflowers from his funeral to always be reminded of him."

—marybe2nicole2

"My tattoo reminds me of my little brother who was born too early and didn't make it. It also means that we need to be more kind to each other and use our hearts more often."

—makkinoemi

"From The Giving Tree, which was my favorite book as a child."

—sierramorrow72

"My Unalome tattoo."

—joannar13

"I designed this flower myself in honor of my grandma who had the most beautiful garden, which she loved and tended to until the day she died."

—elenabrightstar

"My homage to Stephen King! Typewriter for 'Misery,' REDRUM for 'The Shining,' and red ballon for 'It.'" 

—meredithking94

"My Mulan concept art tattoo."

—bookishlee

"His imprint is always with me."

—rjmandi

"My tattoo represents feminism and also the importance of not giving a sh*t. It reminds me that it's my body, and I can do what I want and love who I want."

—myak4097

"I got this gorgeous galaxy tattoo last January. It's pretty much impossible to tell, but it's actually a cover-up tattoo. I had a cross there for years from when I was young, religious, and hadn't yet figured out I was gay. I'm getting married this year and decided it was finally time to cover it because I didn't want a cross in my wedding photos, and I didn't want to have to pick a dress based on what would hide my back. Now I have a super-cool space tattoo, and I made sure to include Pluto because I will die on the hill that it's still a planet!"

—toritc198

"My little tattoo doesn’t have a specific meaning, but I always get questioned about it."

—kirstyw4725

"My silhouette of Edward Scissorhands and Kim. I adored the movie growing up. The song Kim dances to in the snow while Edward sculpts the ice was my son's lullaby when he was a newborn."

—gaugetherage11

"My A Clockwork Orange tattoo."

—annamarief4

"J.R.R. Tolkien's drawing of Smaug from the original manuscript of The Hobbit."

—meganmichaels

"My full moon and new moon, for all the goddesses and badass women out there."

—emmaj453

"I have loved David Bowie since my teens, and I really wanted to get a tattoo commemorating my love for his music. I had a vague idea of what I wanted, but when an artist I followed on Instagram posted a flash sale, I knew I had to get it. This is the result, and I'm absolutely in love!"

—saraho41

"I have the invisible child from Tove Jansson's short story with the same name. Having grown up with Tales From Moominvalley, it was just a matter of time before I chose to immortalize my childhood memories."

—cefroberg

"This one is my Star Wars–inspired tattoo. I'm a huge fan, and R2-D2 is my favorite character."

—siestaz

"I went deaf in my right ear when I was a freshman in high school. I've made jokes about it ever since then, and it's one of the funniest, if not one of the worst, things to ever happen to me. I got my tattoo to immortalize my twisted sense of humor, but also so my family actually knows which ear I can hear out of."

—nicks4979

"I got this little guy because I'm a seaman, and I wanted something ~deep~."

—DevanTheSeaMan

"Because sometimes you go through the dark side to get to the light. You grow. Also...VADER. ❤️"

—and8

I love Latin, and "praelia" means "bouts of strength." The semicolon for the 'I' is symbolic of my struggles with mental health that I still deal with, and every time I look at my wrist I'm reminded that I am strong, even when I'm not feeling it.

—laurenjoybest

My sister and I got matching tattoos before I moved out of state, to symbolize our love for each other!

—stephaniec40

Wearing the color yellow around my grandpa was an inside joke between him and the grandkids. Whenever one of us would wear yellow, he would tickle us until we laughed so hard that we could barely breathe. I got this tattoo of one of the yellow sunflowers from his funeral to always be reminded of him.

—marybe2nicole2

A reminder to trust the process. Things don't fall into place overnight.

—beckya48692679b

I got these little rainbow dots to show that I'm proud of who I am, and it makes me happy whenever I look at it.

—hannahcbsat

From East of Eden.

—kbakertrapp

Inspired by Princess Mononoke.

—kaityhutch

Celebrating David Bowie. ❤

—kaelalowe80

I grew up with Harry Potter. He was my hero, and I spent a lot of time escaping with him and his friends.

—christopherd25

My muses. Credit to @girlknewyork.

—slydogandleo

My tattoo represents feminism and also the importance of not giving a shit. It reminds me that it's my body, and I can do what I want and love who I want.

—myak4097

Astronauts are cool.

—kendallboj

This is my Peter Pan tattoo. Located on my right wrist, this leads me to Neverland.

—andyc46

My black-and-white Ariel.

—samanthas4d

A simple pine tree.

—sashad

Perfect sister tattoos of the mathematical sign of congruence. We are the same blood, but different people.

—addarifrancesca

My favorite Shakespearean quote, from The Tempest. Even though in the play it has a slightly different context, I’ve always loved the idea that everything you’ve done makes up who you are, but it’s only the start; what’s yet to come is the real story.

—ellyi

I got this tattoo in Korea about two months after I started living here. It serves as a gentle reminder for a lot of different things.

—samiam817

Small moon.

—romanac

Tiny Triforce.

—fettycrocker

This tattoo is for my grandma in Ireland. It’s a lattice flower, native to that area. She raised me and I love her.

—jamesharness

My sister and I got each other’s initials.

—erinm84

Lovebirds, in memory of my sweet grandparents.

—laurels439

Jasmine is my favorite Disney princess, so of course I had to get this.

—supergoodfeelin

On my ankle I have a little symbol that means "cheer up." I used to draw it on my hand to remind myself to take time for myself and to focus on my happiness.

—erinschlipf

I was living in Sydney and Hong Kong for a year, so I decided to get each of their landmarks: the Opera House in Sydney and the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong.

—leamariap

My husband and I got little wheat stalk tattoos. We were inspired by something our pastor said about marriage: "Love the harvest more than you hate the hard work."

—candicei

My twin sister has the other half.

—tandray

I've always been obsessed with The Little Mermaid.

—arewethereyeti

I got this because I’m obsessed with the moon. I also love that this particular moon is in the process of transitioning and still looks beautiful. I think it's a good metaphor for life.

—jessicag493

A few years ago I was going through a rough patch in college. I spontaneously decided to get a tattoo, and this was the first thing that felt right for me. It reminds me to always keep moving forward.

—katieh4260

To me, these flowers represent happiness. I find myself unhappy a lot, so this is just a reminder to smile and cheer up in dark times.

—karlijaec

I got "ok" in white ink on my ring finger, to promise myself that I’ll always be OK. I chose white specifically because it heals to look a lot like scar tissue.

—reneed4e6

I got this tattoo for my love of the beach. I love the small pop of color.

—rowans4212

My mom, sister, and I got matching tiny triangle tattoos.

—codiem2

Home is where your heart is, and my heart is in my hometown in Michigan. No matter how far away I may go, I'll never forget where I came from.

—chloem4d

Carl and Ellie from Up.

—evid

My No-Face tattoo from Spirited Away.

—claryssa339

My cat saved my life. I was living with a combination of depression, PTSD, and anxiety, and she came to me as a scared rescue with severe behavioral issues. I can't help but think that we rescued each other. When she died, it led me toward therapy and help. I think she was there to save me one last time.

—amandas44

J.R.R. Tolkien's drawing of Smaug from the original manuscript of The Hobbit.

—meganmichaels

I have a tiny sun tattoo on my arm. I've struggled with anxiety and depression for years, and my tattoo reminds me that no matter what happens, the sun will always come up the next day.

—mbart

I have a "J" tattooed on my wrist for the love of my life who passed away.

—izzit

Got this as a reminder to always look forward and to not let things drag you down. It means "transcend."

—samanthas1995

It's a sign in ASL which means "I love you." I've always had hearing problems growing up and was ashamed of it, but I have fond memories of signing this frequently. This tattoo is behind my right ear, which is the ear I have the most hearing loss in.

—sarebasketcase

I’ve wanted an elephant tattoo for over a decade, but I kept changing my mind on the style. Once I saw a watercolor tattoo, I knew I wanted to incorporate that look into this one. Artist: Steve Labofish.

—suzefrost

I have the invisible child from Tove Jansson's short story with the same name. Having grown up with Tales From Moominvalley, it was just a matter of time before I chose to immortalize my childhood memories.

—cefroberg

My best friend and I got matching tattoos the day before we left for college — just each other’s first initial with a heart. I have a few tattoos, but this one means the most to me.

—isabellad4c12

I have a crescent moon around a freckle on the back of my arm.

—meghannerinm

My classic/illustrated Mickey.

—spearmint04

One night in Chicago, my friend and I randomly decided to get matching tattoos.

—meaganw4b

This heart was taken from a letter that my sister once wrote. She passed away in 2012. It's a daily reminder that we’re always together.

—ardrew

This one is my Star Wars–inspired tattoo. I'm a huge fan, and R2-D2 is my favorite character.

—siestaz

My mom always called me "bunny," and one year on my birthday card she drew this bunny. I immediately knew I wanted it as a tattoo. It's my favorite tattoo because of how dainty it is, but also because of how significant it is to me.

—laurenm436

I absolutely love Harry Potter, but I wanted to add a musical element. The "M" has a small eighth rest that's drawn in, so the tattoo means “rest in the light.”

—bethanyb4e5

A "Chip on my shoulder," inspired by Beauty and the Beast.

—callies48cb4936d

I let a guy I met off a dating app (he's a tattoo artist and fellow Harry Potter fan) give me this tattoo on our first date.

—stephaniieb

XO.

—joeyg42e961344

Got this tattoo in honor of my grandfather who passed away from Alzheimer’s. Up until some of his last moments, we made paper airplanes together.

—leary

I got my Canadian passport renewed this summer. There was only one way to celebrate... with a tattoo!

—alexandram4df5a5cdc

—nelsonkaily

A year ago I lost my grandfather. He was a smoker all his life, but his lungs were still in good enough condition to be donated, so I got this tattoo in honour of him.

—saray46660f779

My mom has always called me "bunny," and one year on my birthday card she drew this bunny and I immediately knew I wanted it as a tattoo. It's my favorite tattoo because of how dainty it is but also because of how significant it is to me.

—laurenm4360a9327

This was my first tattoo. I designed it after seeing Interstellar. The film had a huge impact on me, so I had “stay” in Morse code tattooed.

—samanthar4a383b0f7

Music has been central to who I am, and I have always wanted a tattoo that represented it. However, my family is super against tattoos, so I ended up getting this simple, tiny one on my ankle so it wouldn’t be as noticeable. I love it so much, and whenever I feel lost or confused I look at it and immediately run to my guitar to work things out. It's tiny yet sweet and is the best way to acknowledge that part of my life.

—mirandamarier

I always wanted to be a princess growing up, and my mom and dad wonderfully let me believe I would be!

—amberr46ff097dd

My cousin and I got matching triangles. There isn’t really a deeper meaning, but it’s cool to always have a small piece of my family hangin’ out on my wrist.

—mollyellenprice

I have a tiny sun tattoo on my arm. I've struggled with anxiety and depression for years, and my tattoo reminds me that no matter what happens the sun will always come up the next day.

—mbart

—abim49c4ff5c0

My beautiful (and super tiny!) Mary Poppins. I’m not lucky enough to be able to see it all the time, but it becomes a nice surprise for friends when I put up my hair and it’s visible for all to see! I’ve gotten so many compliments on this tattoo.

—stardust12706

I have a "J" tattooed on my wrist for the love of my life who passed away.

—izzit

For the times we have to endure.

—peulvrucht

Cute little Saturn.

—gnarlyy182

"Timshel," the Hebrew word for "thou mayest," from East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

—catherinea45511ab7d

My best friends and I got these matching tattoos almost two years ago to remind us that no matter where life takes us, our friendship will always guide us home. Cliche, but we love them.

—katelynh4

I absolutely love elephants and decided to get one for life. The best part is that my parents who hate tattoos don't mind it. It's on an area of my foot that's easy to hide, and it's super cute!

—kellied4af1826e4

It was meant to be half of a heart. My sister got the "3" part on her finger.

—britchey

For my black cat that passed on Friday the 13th.

—jcbrown

Beauty and the Beast was always a childhood favourite of mine, and seeing the remake brought back this sense of yearning for wanting something more in my life. Also, Belle is the best Disney princess of all time, and I will fight anyone who tries to tell me otherwise.

—sarahs4da0e294d

I just got this tattoo last week, and I'm obsessed. It not only represents feminism to me but also the importance of not giving a shit. Girls are amazing and having two make out on my arm shows my love for my fellow women and for myself.

—myak409780a88

A "Chip on my shoulder," inspired by Beauty And The Beast.

—callies48cb4936d

This one is my Star Wars-inspired tattoo. I'm a huge fan, and R2D2 is my favourite character. My next tattoo will be on a second thigh and will be inspired by the Harry Potter series.

—siestaz

Best friends forever.

—cupidshearts11

I got this one with my sister-in-law. It's a pair of hands in the shape of a uterus. It's fun because most people can't figure out what it is, so we think of it as our little secret uterus gang sign.

—juliaa26

Peter Pan and Wendy's kisses. Favorite childhood stories.

—moonwillow

A combination of Harry Potter and Dr. Seuss! Two book series that were read to me all the time when I was little and are very close to my heart, so I designed this! My stepmom and I both got them on our forearms.

—Withaguh

—ktan15

Harry Potter with a punch.

—laragraceb

Origami emu with watercolor background.

—katrinac4bb41fe8b

My hubby and I got married at Disney World. <3

—noellew4095b81ae

My Little Mermaid watercolor piece that I got as a full sleeve!

—arewethereyeti

My tribute to Doctor Who.

—kirab4a76f1b85

I work with wolves — so it only seemed necessary that my first tattoo was of a wolf.

—m43a7ae3ab

I’ve had this hummingbird tattoo for a few years now, and I still get so many compliments from strangers when they see the colors!

—kellsm

—mirandas4ccfee0e0

My saltire butterflies.

—katrinam45e3

I got this to show my LGBT pride and my undying love for Disney.

—thebff4l

—sjgood

—jazmync2

A tattoo for my dad, who has collected owls since he was a kid and makes beautiful stained glass art.

—emilyh433f78a4b

—emilygilbertl

My Dave Matthews Band fire dancer.

—karinblanchard83

—kristint431812028

—kimmyb

For the love of travel.

—mattheww44186d6e2

—elizabethg42e271b43

—mcgray

My Amy Winehouse tattoo. <3

—k42448b371

My dedication to Frida Kahlo.

—willeehuhm

My watercolor sailboat on my calf.

—ashleys434ca25a8

—lealeadelilah

I found a local tattoo artist while I was visiting Disneyland — she's now the only one I go to for my tattoos.

—reneef14

—emb732

—kelliet4b70070f8

Over the last four years, I have lost around 140 pounds. For a long time, there was a huge disconnect between my 274-pound and 147-pound self, and this tattoo is my way of accepting and loving both parts of myself.

—sarahc165

—rachelw4eaf7ddf7

—erinc4cc593b29

—tatatat

I have a geometric watercolor tiger tattoo. It represents courage, confidence, and beauty. :)

—karamh

—alholstrom

My Starry Night.

—dianalal

My colorful elephant as a symbol of strength and endurance.

—jessicam4f2154253

—dianalal

—sheezabrickhouse

My watercolor owl.

—proll00

As a literature teacher, truer words have never been spoken!

—amandahenagers

My dedication to Thirty Seconds to Mars.

—chantellec46a0165eb

I got this Phoenix after a particularly tough time in my life.

—kelliroper

My magical baby goat because, you know, goats are the best.

—mollyr4ed4dc737

My little bunny.

—t49cbf44a8

My geometric bear tattoo.

—bear1088

—allief435d5394d

This tattoo is a symbol of my hope and freedom from anorexia, which I have been battling for five years.

—lsharp5298

—keladry1

—hannahg4cb49b27f

Tribute to my dog. <3

—christiang436

My Deathly Hallows tattoo with Luna Lovegood’s patronus.

—jerf506

"I’ve been a Harry Potter fan since I was 16. Almost 20 years later, and it’s still what gets me through the hard times. I’ve been through a lot, and the phoenix feather reminds me that I’ll rise up through the ashes of whatever fire I just went through." —nessawillson

"I got this tattoo in memory of my dad, who passed away when I was 15. Sunflowers were his favorite flower, and this tattoo reminds me to always stay positive just like he always did." —yaelleq

"I’ve got two poppy flowers on my ankle. I directed a show called Oz my senior year of high school, which solidified my dream of being a professional director. I will always look back on Oz as being one of my favorite shows I’ve ever directed." —bookieburns

"Sailor Moon has been one of my favorite shows since I was a kid in the early '90s." —melissad401894180

–nelsonkaily

"I got this for my high school graduation. I’ve always been drawn to The Starry Night since I was a kid so seeing it on my arm every day makes me smile." —cerinar

"My father was a contracts attorney for Mobil Oil, and their logo is a pegasus. My father was born in the year of the horse and also passed in the year of the horse. The pegasus has taken on so much meaning for me now because it’s a horse with angel wings." —strcar

"This tattoo is for my grandma in Ireland. It’s a lattice flower, native to that area. She raised me and I love her." –jamesharness

"This is my tattoo inspired by To Kill A Mockingbird. Books have always been my first love, and this was the greatest love I ever had." —cassnathanson

"My younger brother absolutely loves dinosaurs! He can name every one, and we grew up playing with Jurassic Park toys and loving every film. My favorite tattoo embodies this and my love for my only sibling." —estxx_kristine

"I’ve got a magnifying glass on my hand because I’m the biggest murder mystery fan ever." —georgea4cf7567f5

"This is a quote taken from Patton Oswalt's comedy special, Annihilation. I got it tattooed to help remind me that the world is chaos for everyone, and it's always better to choose kindness." —karlyb4358af021

"This is a rhododendron, the plant my parents planted in their yard when they were pregnant with me. It grew with me, and I felt like I needed to honor it." —emmahazelton8

"I wanted a tattoo that acknowledged how much I’ve survived through my life, to say 'I’m still here.' Labyrinth is my favorite film of all time so it’s a perfect quote." —sarahp4386d6cb8

"This one is for my two cats! They’re both very adventurous so the forest was a good fit for them!" —howdybeth

"I got my Edward Scissorhands tattoo for my 18th birthday – it represents creativity despite any personal battles or adversity. And the flower was a last minute addition – it’s from Hadestown which also has to do with creation." —frankentai

—gemface

"I’ve been in love with The Phantom of the Opera since I was eight, and I’ve seen it live in New York four times. It made me interested in theater, and now I’m a theater makeup artist. It’s my dream to work on this show one day." —nathanvh

"This tattoo is a dedication to my grandparents who passed away. Our family spent countless summers and holidays at my grandparents's lake house. I will never forget those times, and I will love and cherish my grandparents forever." —katwomn

"I got this when I started struggling with the rejection that came with dating after getting diagnosed with an STI. I had to remind myself that no matter how much I feel betrayed by my body or how hurt I feel when it’s rejected, it is still worthy of love from myself and others." —maryl4c0869465

"My thigh piece was done in memory of two good friends who lost battles with depression. It reminds me every day to keep going." —edenp

"I've always been obsessed with The Little Mermaid." —arewethereyeti