In the interests of research and as an ongoing barometer of popular culture we present you with an update of the Top Ten Tattoo Designs Search.

You can access the archived top 10 lists on this page.

The Top 10 Tattoo Designs and Symbols, based on our site searches ending 01/31/07.

The new year in 2007 started off with some continuing trends in the popularity of certain tattoo designs and symbols from late in 2006 and with some intriguing new ones. Over the course of twelve months, the popularity of certain tattoo designs and symbols tends to become more pronounced. Over a shorter period of time, fluctuations in seasonal trends, fads and fashion styles make for some interesting tattoo design choices.

As the new year began we had a whole spate of people searching for tattoos that had very specific symbolic meaning. That tattoo designs have symbolic meaning is no great revelation - after all, we do call this section of the web site Tattoo Designs & Symbols! We often see high volumes of searched for tattoo designs that symbolize "love", for example, or "devotion". But the prominent searches the month of January, were people looking for tattoo designs that "symbolize", friendship, strength and eternity. These are tattoo design searches we see on a regular basis all year round but there was huge spike in their number in January. Perhaps people were thinking of a new tattoo to symbolize a New Year's resolution. And pledges of friendship and strength & an appreciation of eternity are certainly not a bad way to start the new year.

1. Angel/Angels - Angels moved up four spots from the month of December in 2006, and if I were a betting man, I would have reversed that order. But perhaps angels are another tattoo design in the New Year that is an expression of a renewed devotion to faith.

Heavenly hosts are a popular tattoo design all year round and are another powerful symbol of religious faith. Angels are often used to evoke protection as potent symbols of God's presence.
Angels are anthropomorphic - meaning in the shape of men - winged forms intended to transmit the word of God to humankind. Angels personify divine will and are the messengers of God. Winged messengers appear in a number of religions as intermediaries between the spiritual and material worlds, but appear most often in Islamic, Jewish but most particularly the Christian faiths. The word angel comes from the Greek 'aggelos', meaning messenger. Angels make frequent appearances in the Christian Bible, not only as messengers of God but also delivering his protection or punishment. Angels act as God's intermediaries, carrying out God's will in the affairs of man.

Symbols closely associated with angels in art include trumpets, harps, swords, sceptres and wands. Angels are usually portrayed as young men with wings and halos, representing their divinity. The representation of angels as Cupid-like young boys or babies, 'putti' did not occur until the period of the Renaissance.

As a tattoo design, an angel is a symbol of devotion, spirituality and faith and signifies a relationship with God. An angel can be intended as a figure of guidance and protection. An angel is often used as the centerpiece of a tattoo that is intended as a memorial.

2. Tribal Tattoos - The number one tattoo design of 2006 finished the year just barely in second place in January, 2006. And Maori tattoo designs, in and of themselves, were so popular that they were a Top Ten Design for both December and for all of 2006. They were also popular enough to be a Tope Ten Tattoo Design all by themselves in January.

The fascination with tribal tattoo designs just keeps chugging along, and the beautiful curvilinear Maori designs continues to attract those looking for distinctive body art.

Tribal Tattoos account for nearly a third of all tattoo design search requests, and the term "tribal" of course covers an astonishing array of tattoo design possibilities, from the traditional tribal tattoos of indigenous and aboriginal cultures, to the latest in graphic design for the body.

Maori tattooing is a distinct school of patterns and graphic designs within Polynesian tattooing. While much of Polynesian tattooing is derived from straight-line geometric patterns (and thought to originate with patterns found on ancient Lapita pottery shards such as have been discovered in Samoa), a design fact which rose in part because the traditional Polynesian tattoo combs are best suited to linear designs, Maori tattooing is essentially curvilinear, and the mainstay of Maori designs are based on the spiral. It should be noted that renowned traditional Hawaiian artist Keone Nunes has demonstrated that it is possible to reproduce complex curved designs using traditional Polynesian tattooing implements.

3. Star / Stars - A perennial monthly favorite tattoo design all year long. This tattoo symbol and design was rarely out of the top ten searches for the past twelve months and was the top tattoo design search in December. Down a mere two spots in January.

Searches for Nautical Stars are always very high and reflect the long association body art has with mariners and a life at sea.

Stars are often encountered as symbols, and many cases the meaning of a particular star symbol may depend upon the number points it has, and sometimes the orientation of these points as well. As a light shining in the darkness, the star is often considered a symbol of truth, of the spirit and of hope. The symbol of the star embodies the concept of the divine spark within each of us. Their nocturnal nature leads stars to represent the struggle against the forces of darkness and the unknown.

4. Cross/crosses - Southern Cross - This was fascinating. Cross and crosses are always very popular tattoo designs and symbols of religious devotion. Never before has the "Southern Cross" appeared in the Top Ten Tattoo Designs.

The cross is a profound symbol of faith, hope, belief and sacrifice. Also a favorite design choice when wishing to memorialize a family member, friend or fallen comrade. And who do we think of most often at this time of year than the people we love and have loved and lost. A memorial tattoo is a way to help keep the memory of someone we cherished with us always.
One of the most ancient, widespread, and important symbols, the vertical and horizontal lines of the cross represent Father and Mother Nature respectively. Some of the cross' forms are the ank or tau, swastika or Thor's Hammer, crux ansata or cross with a handle, denoting power over material nature. The four arms of the cross represent the four elements, and its central point their synthesis or laya-point.

The Southern Cross was used by Mariner's in the Southern Hemisphere, and as a tattoo design, it would be similar to the Nautical Star.

If you live in the Southern hemisphere, or if you are vacationing in someplace like Hawaii, you can see a small but beautiful constellation with the shape of a cross. Its name is Crux and it is located very close to the constellation of Centaurus.

The brightest star in Crux is called Acrux. Acrux is really two stars going around (orbitting!) each other, but they are so far away that we see them as one star.

Explorers of the Southern hemisphere used Crux to guide them when sailing. By looking at Crux, they could figure out in which direction to sail without getting lost. http://www.windows.ucar.edu/the_universe/crux.html

5. Wings -  Often depicted as angel wings, wings are another of 2006's Top Ten Tattoo Designs.

Wings as a tattoo design can often have inspirational or spiritual symbolism. In many myths, wings often have to be earned by their wearer. Wings, often associated with birds, represent speed, elevation, freedom and aspiration.

Wings associated with angels are spiritual, symbolizing enlightenment, guidance and protection - to be taken under the wing - and inspirational.

Wings associated with butterflies, dragonflies, fairies, mythological winged creatures like dragons, griffins, and the winged-horse Pegasus, have an element of the magical about them. As in alchemy and magic, wings can be transformational, allowing an individual access to a previously unattainable state. The presence of wings allows the combination of different elements, earth and sky, wind and fire.

6. Friendship symbol - see Kanji or Chinese Characters or perhaps anything that reminded you of friendship. Maybe it is your school mascot, a shared experience like a trip to another country with a best friend. You'll know what your tattoo design symbolizing friendship is when you see it. It will be the tattoo design that jumps out and grabs you by the heart.

6. Strength symbol - see kanji or Chinese Characters, but perhaps a tattoo design that represents a symbol of strength might be a bear, or something that reminds you of your father or your mother or of your best friend. It could be the Koi fish that swims up the waterfall to become a dragon, a knight on a quest, or the first flower bud of spring.

6. Eternity - Eternity has appeared before, and as a tattoo symbol can be represented in a number of interesting and fascinating ways. Symbols for eternity can be the infinity sign, Ouborous, or an Asian symbol, from kanji to characters to the Ohm symbol. Hard to separate thoughts of Christmas from thoughts of family, mortality and our place in the Cosmos.

Ouroboros - The Serpent biting its own tail, is first seen as early as 1600 years BC in Egypt. From there it moved to the Phoenicians and then to the Greeks, who called it the Ouroboros, which means devouring its tail.
The serpent biting its tail is found in other cultural mythologies as well, including Norse myth, where the serpent's name is Jörmungandr, and in Hindu, where the dragon circles the tortoise which supports the four elephants that carry the world.

Symbolically, Ouroboros has several meanings. The first, is the symbolism of the serpent devouring and consuming its own tail, literally eating itself. This symbolizes the cyclical Nature of the Universe: creation out of destruction, Life out of Death.

The Ouroboros eats its own tail to sustain its life, in an eternal cycle of renewal. This secondary symbolism is an echo of the concept of infinity, of cycles without end. A Universe without boundaries or limits.

The Infinity Symbol - This tattoo design is best described as a figure eight on its side, it is used to denote that which is limitless and without boundary or end. The symbol as a tattoo would stand for the state or quality of being infinite. The concept of infinity first appeared as a mathematical conceit and was quickly adopted by philosophers.


Historically and culturally, the infinity symbol is similar to mythological creatures such as Ouroboros, the snake that consumes its tail and is a creature without end. Circles and loops are reminiscent of the idea of life being conceived as an eternal, often times seasonal cycle, that endlessly repeats itself. In many eastern religions and belief systems the idea of endless reincarnation and planes of existence is similar.

7. Sun - The Sun as a tattoo design is a reflection of the Sun's profound symbolic nature in most cultures around the world. The sun was worshipped as a personified, life-giving deity in Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and almost every other major civilizations of history. The Sun or Sun figure was almost always the predominant figure within the pantheon of those spiritual belief systems.

Nearly every culture has a creation myth that explains how the sun came into being, and often times an accompanying apocalypse myth that details the end of the world, as we know it, when the sun is destroyed or devoured in some manner. Many cultures have myths that explain the rising and the setting of the sun, and this repeating cycle of light and dark has come to symbolize life and death, regeneration and reincarnation.

The most common symbol of the sun is a circle with the sun's rays emanating from the perimeter. A dot or point in the center of a circle symbolizes the blending of male and female forces. The sun is usually seen as a masculine symbol and the moon and the earth as feminine symbols, hence you will often the Sun symbolically paired with the Moon or the Earth. For many millennia the Sun was believed to be at the center of the Universe, around which all other heavenly bodies radiated. The Sun was a symbol of both royal and divine powers, adopted by both secular and religious authorities.

7. Dragon - A Top Ten Tattoo Design of 2006 - a dragon is a classic tattoo design that shows the influence of Japanese and Chinese culture in western tattooing. This design is popular with both men and women. A dragon is wondrous monster, often thought of as a giant winged, fire breathing lizard or snake. The word is derived from the French and Latin form of the Greek, drakwu, connected with derkomai "see," and interpreted as "sharp-sighted." The equivalent English word "drake" or "fire-drake" is derived from Anglo-Saxon draca

7. Phoenix - Another Top Ten Tattoo Design of 2006 - the legendary mythological bird of fire, is probably the most popular of all the rebirth and resurrection symbols. And as a Top Ten Tattoo Design in the first month of a New Year, seems very appropriate.

There are stories and fables that touch on the Phoenix myth in the ancient Middle East, India, China and the Greek and Roman Empires.

In the myth the Phoenix is an extraordinarily long-lived bird of great beauty and luxuriant plumage (often described as golden or red-hued), living five hundred years or more, a fact attributed by one early Jewish legend that the Phoenix refused to eat the forbidden fruit of Paradise. At the end of it's life the Phoenix would build a nest of aromatic twigs, set fire to itself, and be consumed in the funeral pyre of it's own making. After three days the Phoenix would arise from the ashes, reborn.

The Phoenix was originally a symbol of the cycle of the rising and setting of the sun but over time evolved to become a symbol of human resurrection. On Roman coins the phoenix represented an undying Empire. In the early Christian Church the phoenix was a symbol of Christ's resurrection and everlasting life. The phoenix represented the victory of life over death.

As a tattoo symbol, the Phoenix can be found in many tattoo genres, but of the Far East in particular. It is a symbol of resurrection, rebirth and regeneration. It also represents purification and transformation through fire and adversity.


8. Butterfly Tattoo Designs - The butterfly tattoo design is a strong symbol of rejuvenation and regeneration, with overt feminine qualities. A Top Ten tattoo Design of 2006. And in the cold, dark months of winter, what more powerful symbol of Spring and new life than the butterfly?

Its ranking shows the influence that women have in tattoo culture, as butterfly designs are an overwhelmingly feminine tattoo choice. The butterfly, because of its short life, its physical beauty, and its fluttering from flower to flower seeking nectar, has among many ancient peoples been regarded as an emblem of the impermanent, unstable characteristics of the lower human soul. The caterpillar lives its period, making for itself a chrysalis, which after a stage of dormancy is broken by the emerging butterfly. This suggests the idea of the less becoming the greater, of an earthy entity becoming aerial. These thoughts led the ancient Greeks to use the butterfly as a symbol of the human soul (psyche); and in their mythology Psyche was in consequence represented in art with butterfly wings.

9. wrist - The top two body parts that people search for when it comes to specific areas are the wrist and the lower back. A distant third is the arm band. I suspect the first two searches are made by a majority of women and the last by a majority of men. Just a hunch.

10. Tiger Tattoos - The Tiger is a potent symbol across Asia in many cultures and has long been a fixture in indigenous tattooing in India, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Japan. Tigers are associated with power, ferocity, passion and sensuality, beauty and speed, cruelty and wrath. The appearance of a tiger in a dream may signal that new power or passion may awaken within you

In Asia the tiger is associated with the power and might of kings, a position similar to the Lion in the Middle East and Europe. (not a terribly surprising symbolism for apex predators who early men would have seen as direct competitors and potent threats - see also sharks, bears, wolves and lions).

The Koreans call the tiger the 'King of the Animals'. In Hinduism the god Shiva, in his aspect of the destroyer, is depicted wearing a tiger skin and riding a tiger. The tiger is generally seen as a symbol of power and strength, but also of destruction and violence. The tiger can be a symbol of both life and death, evil and evil's senseless or destructive power. In China, tiger images are used as charms to ward off evil. Stone tigers are common protective guards outside of buildings and houses. At the time of the Chou dynasty, images of tigers were hung in pregnant woman's rooms to protect the unborn baby. In some areas tigers are thought to punish sinners, in the name of a supreme being, by attacking them.

Some Asian cultures have stories about weretigers, people that can change themselves into tigers, much like the werewolves seen in horror movies. According to their legends, the Tibetans and Na-hsi of the Yunnan province in China have descended from tigers. The Na-hsi give tiger figures to boys and girls at their coming-of-age ceremonies and also to newly wed couples.

For great tattoo design ideas, check out our good friends at TattooJohnny.com

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