Originally posted on March 31, 2022 @ 6:00 am
Tattoos for women are deeply personal decisions that capture the essence of who they are as individuals. These lifelong companions are a trendy way to express a woman’s love, grief, memories, and interests.
It’s important that the ink is aesthetic and comes across the way it’s intended. While some women may choose to place them in areas that can be covered, others opt to display them openly to the world.
Either way, they can spark great conversations and hold special meanings. Choosing what to get can be a process, but it doesn’t have to be a hard one. Below are 40 tattoo ideas for women to draw inspiration from.
Similar articles: neck tattoos for women.
Best Tattoo Ideas For Women:
1. Cross
The cross can be a fairly common ink. It can be a powerful representation of your faith, a way to honor someone who passed away, or embody a crossroads from your past.
You could go for a small, simple design or select one adorned with flowers like the one in the link. This can be a significant symbol of unconditional love and sacrifice.
2. Rose
A single rose tattoo could symbolize a lost love or a conquered one. Various colors could also have different meanings, such as a black one standing for grief or loss, a yellow for a valued friendship, or an inverted one for rejection. Overall, it tends to be a classic representation of beauty or love. Adding thorns or an arrangement of roses takes on new meanings.
3. Butterfly
A butterfly has a long-standing tradition of embodying faith, beauty, transformation, and freedom. A butterfly goes through many transformations in life and can represent a season of change in yours.
It also has different meanings in different cultures: In Mexico it is a sign of souls coming back for the Day of the Dead, in Japan a sign of marriage, in Irish lore it symbolizes the soul, the Celtics see it marks the afterlife.
4. Moon
From those that believe in deep, celestial meanings to those that just love the aesthetic look, a moon can be a beautiful choice for an array of interests. Its symbolism is known for creativity, imaginative personalities, and manifestations. Take into account the four phases of the moon when you decide on these, as each has a deeper meaning of its own.
5. Lotus Flower
With three dots appearing above or below, this tattoo transforms into the Buddhist symbol of unwelcome. As tradition goes, it is believed that this constitutes each person’s path in life, a path to enlightenment. If you opt for spirals and swirls, it can reflect your struggles in life.
6. Hummingbird
Aside from being a hummingbird lover, this tat can show your positivity and optimistic nature or disclose your desire to feel free. It can also mean you have overcome difficulty and, in many cultures, reflect peace. The hummingbird is often drawn with flowers as they cannot live without them.
7. Sunflower
Standing tall and bright, the sunflower sparks happiness. It can be a sign of good luck and a wish for long, happy life. If you want to have a reminder of hope filled with positive emotions, this could make a great choice. It also has a spiritual meaning of self-respect and embracing your individuality.
8. Tree Of Life
The tree of life has roots in the Garden of Eden, standing for all things related to life and growth. If you wish to portray fertility, immortality, the cycle of life, and the power of wisdom, this is the ink for you. You could go with one color or shade half of it to show inner and outer beauty.
9. Heart
Whether it’s a beautiful array of flowers around the outline or filled in with words of inspiration or a loved one’s name, the heart is a symbol of love and affection. Granted, you could always pierce it or throw cracks down it to show heartbreak and sadness.
But, the usual take is showing how you love yourself through the tough times, or you want to remember or show someone else you love them.
10. Dream Catcher
Dream catchers are traced back to the origins of the Native American tribe – Ojibwe. The elders would weave them and gift them to the young children of the tribe as a sign of protection. As a sign of safety, protection, and positive thoughts, this tattoo is definitely one to consider. Wolves, tigers, eagles, and elephants are often added to these designs to enhance further meaning.
11. Elephant
This will make for an unforgettable design when carefully placed on your body. It is a gorgeous piece of artwork, with the elephant being the largest, most powerful mammal on land, standing for loyalty, deeper connections, wisdom, and a focused intellect. Drawn with the trunk up is a sign of good luck.
12. Owl
Owls symbolize Athena, in Greek religion, the goddess of war. She stood for wisdom, deep thought, independence and was thought to possess superpowers. Owls are thought to arrive around you when you are in need of listening to your intuition. Owls can also be seen as a sign of shapeshifting and death.
13. Mandala
On a physiological level, this tattoo idea represents the cycle of one’s spiritual journey. It first emerged from the Himalayas and India, featuring a bohemian style and literally means circle. It often entails unity and harmony obtained from your journey and the restoration of cosmic and psychic order.
14. Bee
Considering this insect is known mostly for its work ethic, no wonder this design reflects hard work. And with hard work comes sweet rewards. It can also have spiritual meanings, considering they pollinate flowers: the bee represents new life, new beginnings, fertility, and birth.
15. Infinity Symbol
The concept of limitlessness in a metaphoric way regarding love. You can add details of names, dates, quotes, and more. This figure of eight lying sideways has been in use for over a thousand years and has a Latin meaning of eternity—a way to reflect that something is everlasting and immeasurable.
16. Cat
With this design, you could actually get a portrait done of your own cat. Cats have this elegant, independent quality to them. They love you when they want to love you, and they ignore you as they seem fit. You can, of course, customize this to different colors, like black, in regard to magical qualities. Magic is in spiritual enlightenment, hope, balance, and intuition.
17. Anime
These tattoos are often referred to as Otattoo or manga tattoos. They are for those with interest in anime and are often based on character preference from a favorite show. In Japanese culture, it can stand for pride and loyalty.
18. Dog
Known as mankind’s best friend, the dog was the first domesticated animal, and a tattoo of one is a sign of vigilance, love, protection, and friendship. As you may notice in the link, a design of an actual dog doesn’t have to be your only option. You could always do a paw print with their name or the date of birth or death.
19. King And Queen
You could go a lot of ways with the designs on this one, but I really liked the simplicity of this one because it could represent not only the love felt for one another but have deeper meaning like maybe they met over a card game or enjoy having friends over and playing a game of spades or rummy.
You could also do crowns adorned with colorful jewels or opt for the sleekness of black and white. Either way, this tattoo symbolizes your commitment to one another and the ability to overcome and get through hard times.
20. Cherry Blossom
A flower of spring, this choice is all about breathing in new life, a renewed focus, and beauty. In China, they represent the female embodiment of sexuality and strength. If you’re a lover of poetry and fresh starts, this might be the one for you.
21. Crown
Introduced to the Greeks by Alexander the Great, the crown holds the symbolism of power, supremacy, immortality, and glory. The jewels themselves hold meanings of priceless admiration, the utmost value. The crown could be a winning choice if you wish to portray victory, triumph, and strength.
22. Feather
The feather takes on many meanings according to culture and tradition. In general, they represent freedom, taking flight from all things that hold you down. They reflect the strength of those that wear them and symbolize their ascension of growth. It can also have an angelic meaning, often depicted as breaking away into birds to honor a loved one flying off to the heavens.
23. Star
Star designs show the dreamer within. The one that looks to something divine for guidance and persuasion. They can be a symbol of dedication, protection, achievement, and hope. You could go for one single star or a collection tapered down the back of your neck, your side, or your thigh.
You could also add it to a cluster of other tattoo designs to tell a story about your journey to believing in humanity again.
24. Tiger
The spirit of a tiger being cunning, majestic, and courageous are a few of the many great reasons this artwork could be a wise choice. Another might be to depict your bravery, intellect, and willpower of strength you’re proud to show off.
25. Swan
A portal of growth from an ugly situation, donning a swan embodies a pure spirit full of loyalty, grace, and trust. It’s a way to show you embrace and love all of your flaws gracefully and trust your ability to stay true to yourself.
26. Dove
A dove has always held the meaning of peace, inward and outward. It’s about purity, transcendence, devotion, the soul, and the Holy Spirit. The bird being doted a messenger perhaps would have special meaning to you if your one to share a message of hope and peacefulness with all those you meet.
27. Pink Lilies
A tattoo design like this is a way to embrace your feminity, soft and delicate. It has a spiritual meaning of purity, fertility, birth, beauty, devotion, and admiration. This flower embodies all the things a woman holds dearest.
28. Tulips
The most common perception of tulips is one of perfection and deep love. Various colors also have different meanings. Yellow means cheerfulness, white for forgiveness, purple for royalty, pink as a sign of happiness and confidence, while red stands for everlasting love.
29. Dahlia
An emblem of elegance, the dahlia is a popular flower choice to make yours uniquely. The Aztecs saw this as a religious symbol and used them during ceremonies. It can mean wealth, commitment, and kindness. Paint it in black to show betrayal, sadness, and negative emotions you may have experienced.
30. Orchid
The orchid is nothing short of special, and neither are you. This timeless flower symbolizes a refined beauty full of love and refinement. With color options like green to show good fortune, orange for a new adventure, and white for innocence, your biggest choice is deciding where to put it.
31. Venus Symbol
Made in light of the Roman goddess Venus, this is a symbol for all things female. It is an encompassment of sexual desire, feminine flair, fertility, prosperity, beauty, and victory. You could add flowers around it and even an infinity symbol to show you’re proud of your infinite sexuality.
32. Triquetra Tattoo
Also known as a Celtic trinity knot, this design is all about infinite interconnections. From a pagan perspective, it represents the maiden, mother, and crone. It stems from the Latin word “tres,” meaning three times.
As an ancient Celtic symbol, it stands for triple female divinity. Dating back over five thousand years, this knot has almost a different meaning in every culture, which means you can easily make it your own.
33. Yin And Yang
Radiate harmony and balance with this ink choice. Yin is conceived of earth, darkness, passivity, femaleness, and absorption. On the other hand, yang represents light, activity, penetration, maleness, and heaven. Overall, it’s about unity and the attraction of opposites.
34. Mermaid
This option can be solely based on your interest in beautiful creatures from an underwater world or have deeper meanings – In Christianity, it can reflect the activity of a baptism. In many cultures, it symbolizes birth and rebirth. According to mermaid mythology, it possesses the qualities of seduction, flirtation, charm with a spellbinding allure.
35. Turtle
Turtles are known for living a long life full of perseverance. They have a meaning of home, protection, healing, and tranquility. These creatures may take forever to reach their goal, but they always keep going. Keep in mind land turtles, sea turtles, and tortoises all have different meanings.
36. Koi Fish
Showcasing a koi fish shows others you are full of perseverance, strength, accomplishment, and courage. They also symbolize good fortune, prosperity, and ambition. A white and red pattern with red around its mouth symbolizes long-lasting love. White with red spots symbolizes success at work, while black spots represent life transformations. The colors gold or silver reflect wealth.
37. Venus Goddess Of Love
Also known as Aphrodite, this tattoo depicts eternal youth of the soul and body and divine beauty. It can mean a confirmation of your dedication to a loved one or love itself. If you were born in April, this could hold special meaning to you, as that is considered the month of this admired goddess.
38. Rabbit
Opposite the turtle, this furry creature has become a symbol of rebirth. With a sensitive, gentle nature, the rabbit is known through mythology and many folklores as a symbol of haste, new beginnings, and good luck. The rabbit can be seen as a reminder to connect with the world and remember each sense you have is a gift.
39. Angel Wings
This can be a representation of the strength of a warrior, purity or innocence, depending on the way they are placed. They are usually placed on the forearms or wrists as a reminder of a loved one who’s gone. A pair of dark wings could mean you embrace the dark moment in life. On light and one dark wing represent the good and bad moments, while melting wings embody our struggles.
40. Fairy
Last but not least, the fairy tattoo. A magical symbol of lightness or darkness, depending on the style you chose. A more cartoonlike fairy would represent love, magic, or be part of your interest in folklore that shows them bringing forth spring and new life after a harsh period of time.
A darker fairy usually means cruelness or mischief. They are usually drawn as handsome or extremely beautiful creatures with a hidden agenda. They possess powers of immortality and are known for abduction.
Conclusion
When thinking about getting a tattoo, remember the color can hold significant meaning, and it’s important to consider each one closely. Also, consider adding in other elements to tell more of your unique story.
You could have a heart filled with someone’s flowers or an infinity symbol with someone’s handwriting on the border. The possibilities and combinations are endless, and that’s what makes them unique to you.
Hopefully, these ideas gave you lots of inspiration, and the next big decision is figuring out where you want them displayed.
