Did you know that 59 % of women have tattoos compared to 41 % of men in America? Included in the population, of course, are celebrities. We’ve all seen some bad tattoos, but today we want to celebrate the better tattoos that mark the bodies of our favorite actors, actresses, models, and singers.
Sure, there are celebs that share images of their new tats (intimate or not) right away on social media. But then there are the lesser known tattoos that we don’t see in their public appearances. There’s also sometimes a deep meaning behind the ink. Let’s have a look into the body art of Hollywood stars.
Megan Fox – Gilded Butterflies
On Megan Fox’s right shoulder blade, you’ll see her tattoo written in a medieval gothic font that is a famous Shakespearean quote: “We will all laugh at gilded butterflies.” The line came from one of his plays, King Lear.
The 32-year-old actress made her film debut in Holiday in the Sun, the 2001 movie with the then-popular Olsen twins. But she’s best known for her roles in the Transformers movies.
Selena Gomez – Honoring Her Sister
Selena Gomez has a lowercase cursive “g” underneath her left ear, which is tasteful not just for its small size and placement, it has a sweet meaning.
She got the “g” to honor her younger sister, Gracie. What a cute idea. She obviously loves her very much.
We just love the next tattoo. See who it’s on!
Lily Collins – Her Tattoo Represents Her Name
When Lily was on a trip to South Korea in 2016, she got a tattoo of a nude woman sitting on a lily pad. Apparently, it’s meant to represent her name. Makes sense!
Lily’s first screen role was at the age of two, believe it or not, in the BBC series Growing Pains, in 1992. But you probably recognize her from The Blind Side.
Cara Delevingne – Inked Out Supermodel
This supermodel is another A-list celeb known for her collection of tattoos. It’s tough to show all her body ink, but here you’ll see both her wrist art as well as her elephant tattoo.
Cara likes animals. Besides her elephant, she also has Delevingne also has a lion on her pointer finger, a white dove, and a wasp.
The next celeb is also fully inked!
Demi Lovato – She Has More than 30!
Demi Lovato has more than 30 tattoos on her body. We just love her latest addition: a smiley face on her pinky. Why? Because “life’s too short not to tattoo your pinky,” she wrote on Instagram.
For those who may not be familiar with Demi, she’s a singer, songwriter, and actress. You must have heard her most famous song may just be “Sorry Not Sorry.”
Kelly Osbourne – One of Many
Kelly’s newest tattoo, literally inked on her scalp, has a powerful meaning. She got it done after the tragic events that occurred in Orlando. She posted: “Solidarity: ‘Noun. Unity of feeling of individuals with a common interest or purpose.’ Individually, we have rights and unique gifts.”
“Together, we have the strength and powerful harmony. I have wanted to get this tattoo for a long time.”
You definitely know the next A list celeb, but you probably don’t know what her tattoo is about!
Drew Barrymore – A Lifetime Note on Her Arm
Drew Barrymore got a tiny wrist tattoo reading “Olive and Frankie.” She wanted to honor her two daughters. She posted on Instagram: “Getting a great little lifetime note on my arm.”
No introduction is needed for Drew Barrymore. But we will tell you that she is currently filming a movie called The Stand-In, expected to come out this year.
Ellie Goulding – Rib Cage Ink
The singer/songwriter added a rib-cage tattoo after performing at Coachella, featuring some art inspiration that she brought to Dr. Woo – a tattoo artist known for tatting up many stars.
You probably have heard her famous hits “On My Mind,” “Burn,” and “Love Me Like You Do.”
Have you seen the son of David and Victoria Beckham? He’s got some nice tattoos too.
Brooklyn Beckham – Like Father Like Son
Brooklyn, the son of David and Victoria (Posh Spice) Beckham, is an aspiring photographer who shared one of his many tattoos. But one of his latest in particularly tasteful and we love it.
On his right hand, he got ‘1975’, honoring his footballer father’s date of birth. Funny thing looks like a perfect 50/50 combination of his two famous parents.
Justin Bieber – Baby Boy Ink
Bieber has too many tattoos to count. Well, rumor has it that he has 56, but it’s not confirmed. The artist is literally covered in ink.
The 24-year-old just got married to Hailey Baldwin, or shall we say, Hailey Bieber. The model and the singer just got hitched a matter of weeks ago.
Next – even Hermione has tats!
Emma Watson – Time’s Up
At the Oscars 2018 Vanity Fair party, everyone was talking about her mini bangs. But we’re more interested in her “Time’s Up” tattoo.
The only thing is it’s grammatically incorrect, as it’s missing an apostrophe! We really hope she goes to get the tiny little dash added to her otherwise classy tattoo.
Lana Del Rey – Death and Paradise
Lana is one ride-or-die lady. You’ll see on her left hand, she has “paradise” written in script.
As for the meaning, she wrote: “Death and paradise for me are linked. I expect after my death, something that is very calm and relaxed. This can already be described as paradise. It is so loaded with meaning. I just like the word “paradise.” I even tattooed it on my hand.”
Jessica Alba – This Was After a Bad Breakup
Alba revealed to Stephen Colbert on his show that she got the tattoo after a bad breakup. She chose to get a Sanskrit character that symbolizes a lotus.
Although she still got recent ink, she regrets her earlier tattoos from her 20s. As she stated, ‘I’m not into them now the way that I was. Understand that tattoos are forever.’
Do you know which tattoo of Rihanna’s we love the most? See the next photo.
Rihanna – No Shortage of Body Ink
The singer and beauty mogul has quite a few tattoos on her body. Aside from the magical trail of open and shaded stars winding down her neck to her upper back, she also has this neck tattoo.
Her neck tat says “Rebelle Fleur,” which translates to “rebel flower.”
Jourdan Dunn – Fear Is Not an Option
The English model-actress has “Fear is not an option” tattooed in script on her forearm. The location is really perfect.
While the model is known for her Instagram photos, she has publicly stated that “Instagram is a toxic place.” She wants people to know the dark side of social media.
Lea Michelle – Tiny Little Tattoos
The actress from TV’s Glee has a bunch of tiny tats, but this miniature musical note and the steaming coffee are the cutest. The miniature coffee cup on the inside of her finger has a personal meaning for Lea. She did it in honor of her grandmother who passed away.
“She wasn’t your typical grandma. She gave me my first cup of coffee when I was eight years old,” Michele wrote on Instagram. “She said something inappropriate to every boyfriend I’ve ever had. She never made a pie or knit me a sweater. But she was my grandma, and I loved her…more than anything.”
Ariel Winter – Modern Family’s Bookworm is No Nerd!
Ariel Winter has an impressive rib cage tattoo of the initials of her five nieces and nephew: “Their initials are on my ribcage, on the side where my heart is,” she wrote on Instagram.
“They are my inspiration and my reason for living. Love these babies more than anything and proud to have their initials forever on my body.” How sweet!
Hilary Duff – Surprisingly Full of Tattoos
Hilary Duff has 15 tattoos, and she clearly chooses wisely. Her latest is that tattoo seen here of realistic roses on her left arm.
This tattoo was also done by Hollywood’s favorite tattoo artist, Dr. Woo.
Know Bella Thorne? She’s another tatted up actress. See her tiny but adorable tattoo!
Bella Thorne – Less is More
We just love Bella Thorne’s mini ink on her right shoulder. This is a perfect example of when less is more.
Bella is a model, actress, singer, and music video director. She became famous after starring on Disney’s series Shake it Up.
Ariana Grande – In Memory of the Manchester Tragedy
Ariana Grande got a bee tattooed behind her ear to mark the first anniversary of the Manchester Arena terror attacks which happened at her concert.
She chose the bee because it’s a symbol for Manchester and is included in the city’s coat of arms.
Speaking of bees, next is another bee tattoo.
Emilia Clarke – In Honor of her Movie
Another work of art by Dr. Woo, Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke chose to get a bee on her pinkie.
She chose to get the bee to honor her movie Me Before You, where she played a woman who also has a bumblebee tattoo. She must appreciate honesty when portraying characters!
Rita Ora – Dancing Above Her Elbow
She’s got 25 on her so far, but one of the classiest has to be the ballerina tattoo on her right arm.
The British singer and actress hit serious fame after she sang on DJ Fresh’s 2012 single “Hot Right Now.”
When it comes to the next celebrity, tattoos are the first thing many people think of.
David Beckham – No Stranger to Body Ink
The soccer star is no stranger to tattoo salons, and he has as many tattoos on his body as years on the clock. You can say he’s addicted to tattoos.
Most of his tattoos are a tribute to his wife and kids. The star is always trying to find ways to honor his adorable family, and we love him for it!
Sarah Hyland – Behind the Ear
The Modern Family star we all know as Haley has a hummingbird behind her. She got the ink to mark a new beginning after ending an abusive relationship with ex-boyfriend Matthew Prokop.
And you can probably guess who did her tattoo. Yup, the famous Dr. Woo.
Next up – another Beckham. You can probably guess which one!
Victoria Beckham – Posh Style
Posh Spice Victoria Beckham isn’t shy about getting tattoos. Well, she couldn’t be with a husband such as hers who is literally covered in them!
As you can see, she has hubby’s initials tattooed on her left wrist, and on her back is a quote from Song of Solomon in Hebrew. Beautiful placement if you ask us!
Scarlett Johansson – Lucky Her
While the two tattoos seen here are quite different in terms of style, she wears them well. On the left, and also on her left arm, is a colorful sunrise.
And then on her right wrist, she has a bracelet tattoo with a charm dangling off which says “I [heart] New York.” Not seen here is a horseshoe with the words “Lucky You” tattooed on her ribcage.
The next blonde starlet has a sweet little tattoo on her shoulder.
Sienna Miller – A Star Who Loves Stars
Sienna must have some sort of appreciation of stars or maybe she’s into astrology. She has a trio of stars on her right shoulder, and then on her hip, she has another single star.
But that’s it, for now, for the stars. She also got a tattoo of a swallow in flight on her left wrist.
Ryan Gosling – Designed His Own
Loverboy Ryan Gosling admitted that he likes tattoos that don’t look good. A quirky thing to say for a quirky guy!
“I like when they look bad, but no one will do bad tattoos, so I did one myself,” he said. “That’s why it’s bad. I’m waiting to get old — I think old guys with tattoos look good.”
Katy Perry – Hello Kitty
The famous pop star must really love Hello Kitty because she got the face tattooed on her finger! But she has other tattoos as well.
She has a few ankle tattoos, including a rainbow triangle, a peppermint, a strawberry, and a couple other mini ones.
The next Game of Thrones star has a classy little tattoo.
Sophie Turner – In Memory Of Her Grandfather
Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner got a tattoo of the letter “G” on her pinky finger to remember her grandfather.
She posted on Instagram: “For my grandad. My hero.” The delicate script letter was tattooed by Mr. K at Bang Bang tattoo parlor in New York City.
Evan Rachel Wood – Inspired by Pink Floyd
The Westworld actress got her tattoo because she was inspired by Pink Floyd’s “Shine on You Crazy Diamond.” Her back tattoo reads, “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”
She said how the song has great significance for her and will play at her funeral one day. Morbid but honest!
Carey Mulligan – A Tattoo and a Role in a Movie
Carey Mulligan believes the teeny seagull tattoo on her wrist helped her get a role in the Steve McQueen flick Shame. During the audition, she mentioned that she was contemplating whether to get a seagull tattoo as a reminder of the character Nina, who she played in a stage performance of The Seagull.
McQueen was a big fan of her idea, and she ended up getting both the tattoo and the role. Lucky girl!
The next tattoo was designed by one of the Beatles!
Emma Stone – Thanks to Paul McCartney
Emma Stone and her mother have a special bond. To celebrate her mother being cancer-free, Emma and her mother got tattoos that pay tribute to their favorite Beatles’ song, “Blackbird”. And guess what? The tattoos were designed by Paul McCartney himself!
The actress wrote a letter to McCartney asking for a drawing of birds’ feet to tattoo, and he responded by sending her the drawings. “Custom tattoos by Paul McCartney. Isn’t that wild?” said. “He’s a good guy.” He clearly is!
Johnny Depp – Lucky Number 3
Johnny has a very simple and strategically placed number three tattoo on his left hand. The “3” tattoo is symbolic to him personally.
He connects with the number three as he has an infatuation with triangles, the trinity and him finding the number somehow “magical.” He used the example of how “two people become three.”
Next up, another action star with an interesting tattoo.
Chris Hemsworth – Acronyms of Love
Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, famous for playing Thor, shares matching tattoos with his wife Elsa Pataky.
The tattoos read ‘C, E, I, T and S,’ which are acronyms for ‘Chris,’ ‘Elsa’ and their children ‘India,’ ‘Tristan’ and ‘Sasha,’ with wife Elsa Pataky.
Angelina Jolie – Worldly Inspiration
Angelina has at least 17 tattoos that we know if. Her back is full of them, but the one on her left shoulder blade was done in a hotel in Pathum Thani, Thailand.
It’s a Buddhist chant written in Khmer script, the language of Cambodia. It’s meant to protect her and her adopted Cambodian son Maddox from bad luck.
Jared Leto – Full of Air
Jared Leto, the actor/singer, apparently has many tattooed shapes and symbols on his body.
Seen in this photo of him performing, are two triangle tattoos which represent the Alchemy symbol for air, on each of his elbows.
Next, another rock star!
Adam Levine – In Memory of 9/11
Maroon 5 star Adam Levine is another one of many rock stars who showers their body with tattoos. And one of the most appreciated and respected are the cherry blossoms. He got it in remembrance of the lives lost from 9/11.
The cherry blossoms and doves are inked on his left arm. Just knowing about the meaning of this one makes us love him even more.
Shawn Mendes – A Guitar Made of Trees and Sound
Shawn’s tattoo is truly unique! His tattoo on his arm is a mix of a guitar, soundwaves, and a skyline. The tattoo is a collection of trees, and the Toronto skyline (sticking to his roots) made to create the shape of the singer’s main instrument.
The very top of the guitar is actually a sound wave of his parent’s voices saying ‘I love you.’ Is there anything sweeter than that?
Kesha – Pop Singer
Kesha, the pop singer, has a tattoo on her left middle finger knuckle. It’s a moon, and it goes with her other tattoo which she got of the planet Saturn.
Apparently, the moon tattoo represents being a “child of the moon.” Call it what you will, we think it’s cute.
The Cast of Pretty Little Liars
The girls from the series Pretty Little Liars decided to celebrate the end of a season and sisterhood with matching tattoos.
Shay Mitchell, Ashley Benson, Troian Bellisario, Lucy Hale, Janel Parrish, and Sasha Pieterse got their characters’ first initials inked on their fingers.
Deepika Padukone – Not Shy About Tattoos
Deepika Padukone is an actress and producer. This beauty is the highest-paid actress in India and is not shy about showing off her ink. She pulls off this stunning tattoo very well.
In this gym picture, not only can we see her workout body, but we can see her gorgeous neck tattoo! This Bollywood star has a modified “RK” tattoo in addition to one on her ankle.
Priyanka Chopra – One Special Tattoo
Priyanka Chopra is another Bollywood beauty. You may know her as the singer, Nick Jonas’s wife. This gorgeous actress only has one tattoo (that we’ve seen), and we absolutely love it!
The star has a stunning tattoo that says ‘Daddy’s little girl’ on her wrist. She and her father must have a really special bond if she got that tattoo inked onto her body. This is my favorite one so far!
Kesha – Astrology Tattoos
Ke$ha is a singer and songwriter known for her over the top songs and style. That’s why it comes to no surprise that this blonde beauty has over 33 tattoos, and that’s just the ones we know about.
I love Kesha’s Hamsa eye tattoo, but my favorite is her astrology ones! Kesha decided to get the Saturn planet tattoo while she was going through her “Saturn return.” She also has the moon on her knuckle.
Maisie Williams – Arya Starks Forever
Maisie Williams is a British actress who you probably recognize from Game of Thrones. This talented star has two known tattoos. One of them is this unique and simple tattoo on her neck.
First of all, we love how this tattoo is red and not black like a regular one. It says “no one,” and she got it to commemorate the end of her show and the character she portrayed, Arya Starks.
Miley Cyrus – Meaningful and inspiring
It’s no secret that Miley Cyrus has plenty of tattoos all over her body. What most people don’t know, however, is that each of her tattoos is important and mean something to her.
Out of all her tattoos, my favorite is the one on her index finger that says ‘Karma.’ Since I am a strong believer in Karma, it would be cool to have a constant reminder that what goes around comes around.
Lady Gaga – Only Inks the Left Side of her Body
Lady Gaga is a talented singer and actress. This star has over 15 tattoos. The strange part, however, is that every single one of them is located on the left side of her body.
One of her tattoos says ‘Mother’s Monster,’ which is apparently Gaga’s nickname. It’s located under her left arm and looks great on her. I wonder why she didn’t get tattoos on the right side of her body.
Halsey – The Only Person who can Pull off a Face Tattoo
Usually, I’m not a big fan of face tattoos. However, Halsey can pull off anything. This subtle tattoo looks amazing. It’s close to her ear so she can easily cover it up if she needs to.
Halsey has a few tattoos, but she admitted on Instagram that this was her first face tattoo and will hopefully be her only. As much as we love this tattoo, one face tattoo is enough.
Bella Thorne – “Twin” Tattoos
Have you ever seen Bella Thorne’s sister Dani? Those two look so much alike, and they probably get mistaken for being twins all the time! That’s why these two decided to get twin tattoos!
These look-alike sisters each got a tattoo on their foot that says, “If lost, find a twin.” This is such a cute idea! The amazing tattoo artist behind their tattoos is Daniel Winter.
Hayley Williams – Ink Represents Survival
Hayley Williams has a cute tattoo of lighting that says ‘WARPED’ behind her ear. At first glance, it seems like a cute and colorful tattoo, but really, there is a lot of meaning to it.
Hayley wanted to symbolize her Warped tour and her surviving a near-death experience during a powerful storm.This tattoo is a permanent reminder of how lucky she is to be alive.
Sarah Urie – Just a Tattoo
Usually, celebrities will explain the meanings behind their tattoos. For some reason, a lot of people feel like they need to justify permanently inking something onto their bodies.
Unlike most celebrities, Sarah Urie didn’t go into too much detail about her tattoo. The star got the triple eye tattoo because she likes it. There is no sentimental reason, and you are allowed just to enjoy the art.
Ashton Irwin – Just one Tattoo
I guess it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the meaning behind Ashton Irwin’s tattoo. This rock star is proudly showing off his love for 5 seconds of Summer, and I don’t blame him.
Obviously, Ashton Irwin made a name for himself, thanks to his band. He doesn’t have any other known tattoos, so we love that Ashton has a permanent reminder of where he started.
Jenna McDougal – Deep and Spiritual
Jenna McDougall has a gorgeous witchy tattoo of a triquetra on the back of her neck. This was Jenna’s first tattoo and had multiple different meanings in Wicca as well as Christianity.
This symbol represents the father, son, and the Holy Spirit when it comes to the Christian religion. For Wiccans, it has a different meaning. It symbolizes the maiden, the mother, and the crone.
Selena Gomez, Alisha Boe, and Tommy Dorfman – Matching Semicolon
Selena Gomez, Alisha Boe, and Tommy Dorfman all got matching semicolon tattoos to commemorate their involvement in ’13 reasons why’. The show hit close to him for these three.
Of course, the semicolon represents the semicolon project. The organization’s purpose is to help and aid people who struggle with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Shawn Mendes – Meaning Behind the Elephant
Shawn Mendes is no stranger to tattoos. One of his cutest is this elephant tattoo on his finger, and it has the cutest meaning behind it. Shawn has been trying to get his mom to get a tattoo for years!
When he finally convinced her, the mother-son duo got matching elephants on their fingers. We can understand why this tattoo holds much more sentiment to the singer than his other tattoos.
Pete Davidson – Ariana Grande Tattoo
After SNL’s Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande made their relationship public, the two had no problem showing each other off. Pete went as far as to get Ariana’s initials tattooed on his finger.
Ariana inspired more than just the tattoo of her initials. Pete also got a cloud on his middle finger and the world “reborn” on his hand. Ariana has the same one, so it’s safe to say he got the idea from Ari.