Ever since the trend of tattoos began, hearts have been the ever-popular choice for men and women alike. This could perhaps be because there is no better symbol than a heart to declare love. Most often, people get tattoos as a proof of their undying love for a beloved.
Every heart tattoo has its own individual meaning and symbolic representation. Every design speaks of a deeper meaning and a deeper sentimental value as well. Heart tattoos have forever been in trend and most often one can find them in nautical designs and sailors.
One can virtually find heart tattoos in hundreds of styles and shapes. The colors vary from white to black and some in full colors. The size too varies from small to large. The tattoos can be placed anywhere on the body, depending on their size. Small designs are generally behind the neck or on the ankle or wrist. A lot realistic versions are also available in the heart tattoo category but those usually cover a larger area.
These tattoos often come with a message or name in honor of a loved one. Initially, most heart tattoos were associated with mothers and the trend remained popular for quite some time. The modern world however, no longer follows this trend commonly. The trend however developed a more romantic take and many people now add their lover’s and even their pets’ name, most commonly seen in celebrities. A heart tattoo, to describe simply, is associated with one that is most close to your heart. You can use it to denote a meaning close to you, represented by the style you choose.
Here are a few heart tattoo ideas and what they mean, to inspire you:
Tattoos with a Sacred Heart
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This is another popular and among the most symbolic of designs in the tattoo industry. Sacred heart tattoos have a history that dates back to thousands years. The history goes all the way to France in the 17th century. If you want to make a remarkable statement with your tattoo, then a sacred heart one should be your topmost choice.
Sacred heart tattoos usually feature additional designs, which include thorns, crown, sword, and even perhaps an angel. These symbols usually have a burning appearance around the design of the tattoo.
This has been a more popular symbol since centuries in the Catholic community. This is also a symbol that was dedicated to figure of Jesus Christ, which a part of the Christian faith.
Tattoos for Celtic Heart
Celtic tattoos undoubtedly make for a great design. They symbolize unity and strength. Tattoos with Celtic hearts not only make for a statement of beauty but also come in a variety of styles and shapes. You can choose from a range of four patterns if you decide on a Celtic heart tattoo for yourself. You can choose from spirals, knots, step work, or crosses.
Tattoos with a Lock and a Heart
Lock and heart designed tattoos usually symbolize a very positive meaning. Most people use this design when they wish to represent their love for someone close to them. The lock usually means that there is one person existing in your life, who along alone can unlock your heart and take up permanent residence in there. Therefore, if you want to declare your love for someone special in this manner, a lock, and heart tattoo would be a fine way to do it.
Tattoo with a Flaming Heart
If passion is what you want to show, then there is no better way to do it than a flaming heart. It is a symbolic representation of the love you and your partner share and experience together. As already described, flaming heart tattoos are a fierce representation of your passion for your partner or you love. You must get this one inscribed if you want to exhibit and celebrate the love you hold for your special one in your heart.
Tattoo with a Realistic Heart
These tattoos are popular due to their uncompromising, intimidating designs. Symbolically, it is a representation of your firm and undying love and commitment to your loved one, regardless of all the ups and downs of life. These tattoos are a statement of intense love and passion for your better half. The flames featured in this design symbolize the desire and that you and your partner have for each other.
Stitches Heart Tattoo
These tattoos have such a design, which contains a different meaning for every different person. Those people who are healing from a loss or recovering from a broken heart, although such experiences are the most difficult phases of life, opt for it. However, such tattoos often make the process of healing easier and bring a sense of acceptance in way, for the people who have been through it. A heart tattoo with stitches also often represents the death of loved one or a tragedy endured in love. Therefore, if you have been through a similar experience, you may want to opt for this tattoo as a means of drawing strength for your recovery process.
Dagger Heart Tattoo
Dagger hearts are another most popular design in heart tattoo trends. They can symbolize both; a positive meaning and a negative meaning. Tattoos with a dagger heart can also represent bravery and courage. On the negative side, you can use these tattoos to represent your struggle with sorrow, grief or a lengthy battle with a difficult situation in your life.
The ‘Love Inside’ Tattoo
The love inside tattoo is one that features a heart that wraps the word love inside it. The beauty of this design lies in its simplicity and originality.
Doodling Art
This another unique design for heart tattoos. It resembles a notepad, which features doodling on it.
Tiny Hearts Tattoo
If you prefer a simple and a compact design, you should consider the tiny hearts pattern. It is a simple heart that can snugly fit on your wrist. You can also add an inscription of you and your partner’s initials for more personalization.
Stamped Heart Tattoo
This is a unique design, which is not common. It carries the look of heart imprinted in stamp. You can fit on the upper part of your hand, on the side of your neck or any other spot of your choice where it features well.
The ‘Peace and Love’ Heart Tattoo
This tattoo has a design, which features a symbol of peace and love inside it. This is a great option if you want to promote the idea of living with love and harmony with one another.
Double Heart Tattoo
Double hearts make for another small but perfect tattoo designs for your wrist. Double heart designs complement each other well and can be used as a declaration of love both romantically, and also for your other close family members like parents.
A Swirl
Swirls are another unique, simplistic design. The pattern is actually a swirl, which forms the shape of a heart. It looks good in spots like the fingers, wrist, and neck.
The Outline
This one does well if you wish to get a small tattoo somewhere on your chest. The design is a simply outline of the shape of a heart. It looks just as good on the chest as it does on the wrist.
Heart on the Shoulder
This one is just the same as the one on the chest and the wrist. It is a simple outline of the shape of a heart on your shoulder, for the entire world to see.
Heart and Cross Tattoo
This is a design that takes inspiration from the ancient Roman and Greek culture. The Romans and the Greeks often got this design tattooed on themselves as a form of recognize and professing their religious sect and beliefs. The design is however, now a popular choice for fashion lovers as well.
Hearts with Elegance
There are also several heart tattoo designs that you can embellish with historical icons for elegance, like the Victorian architecture for example.
Heart with a Crown Tattoo
This is a beautiful heart tattoo design that takes inspiration from the Irish ring design. This tattoo will symbolize, loyalty, love, and friendship. It is a great tattoo design to opt for if you have a best friend for life.
Symbolic Heart Tattoo
You will often see heart tattoos on people that often summarize the stories of their lives. For example, there are most commonly depictions of a heart hanging from the limbs of a tress. The meaning that such a tattoo contains is one of pain endured in the loss of love in one’s life. You can take inspiration from similar designs if you wish to share your life’s story with the world and feature it with a heart in the design.
Hearts on a String Tattoo
This design features a string with multiple hearts hanging on a string; they look vibrant and colorful and pass out a positive vibe. This is a wonderful option for those who have carefree hearts.
Flowered Heart Tattoo
This design is a completely feminine one. It features red and pink flowers formatted into the shape of a heart with no outline. These look very girlish and cheerful.
Heart Tattoo with a Rib Cage
This tattoo features heart shape formed with a rib cage. The colors used in this design are gray and black and look somewhat masculine.
The Classic Mom Heart Tattoo
This design features a red heart with a bird perched on it. The bird firmly holds in its beak the string of a label reading ‘Mom’ pasted on the heart. If you are someone very close to your mom, this is a wonderful tattoo design to express your love for her.
Dragon Heart Tattoo
This tattoo features blue and red dragons that are intertwining their tails to form the shape of a heart. It is a very unique and a daring design.
Black Heart Tattoos
Some modern tattoos and featured in black. A black heart tattoo generally represents sadness and mourning, related to an unfortunate event in your life. It could perhaps be the loss of someone very close to you or a broken relationship for example. A black heart tattoo usually comes with a name attached to the heart or even angel wings and flowers. The trend of black heart tattoos surfaced in majority around the time of the attack on Twin Towers. The black heart tattoo symbolizes a precious time that is lost forever and may serve to remind you of the wonderful memories all through your life.
Broken Heart Tattoo
The broken heart tattoo represents the heartbreak one suffers. It could perhaps be the loss of someone very close to you or a broken relationship for example. This is mostly to hold the memory of your loved one close to you forever and respect and honor them.
Tattoos with a Winged Heart
You will often find heart tattoos adorned with wings. You can add angel or bird wings, whichever suits your fancy. The purpose of adding wings to a heart tattoo is to symbolize a free spirit and freedom. There are also people who like the idea of attaching wings to their heart tattoos because it represents the pure love and joy they feel in their heart. If you are a free spirit, you will surely find the natural aspect of a winged heart quite appealing.
Tattoos with a Tribal Heart
Another popular trend of heart tattoos are the tribal ones, although they have no symbolical significance of meaning. Perhaps why people like this tattoo so much is because they can include any personal message of their choice in it. If you are looking for a personalized option as well as something that looks good then you will certainly find this an appealing idea. A personal message and a heart tattoo is a combination that never fails. You can virtually choose from thousands of designs for tribal heart tattoos and can merge them with other designs that don’t clash.
Bloodied Heart Tattoos
If you have a more aggressive and a fiercely passionate nature then perhaps you would love this design. It features a graphic sketch of heart dripped with blood and the aortas depicted on top of it.
A Heart with a Yin-Yang Tattoo
A yin-yang is a symbol that embodies paradox, duality, harmony and change and unity in diversity. This design is perhaps one the most unique yet most symbolic of all designs. It features a heart with a design and no outline and accompanied with a yin-yang symbol. Put together, it makes a meaningful and unique statement.
A Sword with a Heart Tattoo
This is one of the classic designs of heart dagger tattoos. They are found in traditional styles and date back to more than a century ago. Literally, the dagger in the cells of a heart means that the person featuring it is ready to kill. Outside the literal meaning however, it symbolically represents how love has the power to hurt often. If powerful messages of love is what you have experienced and want to convey, then this tattoo is how you can do it.
Couple Heart Tattoos
If you make a great team with your life partner of your friend or a loved one, a couple hearts tattoo is what you should get. These are black hearts that are on the Achilles heel.
Black Heart Tattoo with Flowers
A black heart generally means a person lacks compassion, empathy, and love for others. However, you can change this idea by incorporating a pattern of flowers and leaves and make it a cheerful visualization for others.
Final Thoughts
Tattoos in this day and age have far exceeded the boundaries of mere fashion statements. People these days opt for tattoos for a variety of reasons ranging from coping mechanic in difficult situations of life, as a testimony of their undying love and commitment for someone and even as messages to enlighten people on some of our life’s important lesson. We hope you find the perfect idea for your heart tattoo from the list we have put together.
