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 04/30/07.

This past month we have seen the continued popularity of many familiar tattoo designs but we have also seen the emergence of interest in a number of new tattoo designs. Once again perennial favorites like tribal designs, stars and crosses, dragons and butterfly tattoo designs can be found at the top of the popularity charts. And for the past six months we have witnessed a real surge in the popularity of tattoo designs searches looking for tattoos that symbolize family and friendship, eternity and strength.

As spring is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere (never forgetting that tattoo design searches come from all corners of the planet!) we saw a large number of searches for designs of trees. Trees have a rich symbolic history in many cultures, from the cherry trees and blossoms of Japan, to the trees that were at the center of the creation myths of the Celts and Norse in Europe. In a number of Asian and African cultures, their creation myths tell stories of men hanging from trees like fruit until they were plucked and came to life. Buddha found enlightenment in his long meditation under the branches of the Bodhi tree. Trees are powerful symbols of regeneration and rejuvenation, vivid reminders to us of the cycle of life, the hard, cold, barren months of Winter giving way to the new growth, buds, warmth, fertility and life of Spring.

1. Tribal Tattoos - Once again tribal tattoos are the top tattoo design search, and Maori tattoo designs are the most popular tribal symbols. Maori tattoo designs, in and of themselves, were so popular that they were a Top Ten Design for 2006.

There is no doubt that part of the enduring appeal of tribal tattooing is that tribal tattooing is a genre of tattooing that is both attractive in terms of its graphic design and its ability to convey a meaning that can be very personally important to the wearer without being obvious.

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.

2. 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. Stars have been a top three tattoo design for the past six months.

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.

3. Cross/Southern Cross - Cross and crosses are always very popular tattoo designs and symbols of religious devotion. It was not until recently that the "Southern Cross" appeared in the Top Ten Tattoo Designs and yet it has been a Top Ten Design search for the past four months.

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

4. Friendship / Family - A tattoo symbol for family or friendship can be anything that ties a pair or group of friends together, a shared symbol that carries meaning for all of the individuals involved, from best friends to team mates to members of a military service unit.

A tattoo can be a visible symbol of the ties that bind, whether they be blood or friendship. The only thing that limits the meanings of our tattoos is our imagination. For members of a family, crests and heraldic symbols are very popular.

5. 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.

5. 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

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.

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.

6. Wrist - A popular site for small tattoos, especially on the inside of the wrist. The inside of the wrist is often considered an erogenous zone, and exposing your wrists to another is an expression of tenderness and vulnerability. We associate the inside of the wrist with the heart, perhaps in part because it is a good place to check for a pulse!

7. Angel/Wings - Angels are often used to evoke protection as potent symbols of God's presence and as an expression of one's faith.

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.

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.

7. Crown Tattoos - As a symbol, the crown also symbolizes leadership, and the rightful authority which comes from being elected by a group to serve as their leader.

Many groups have used the crown to symbolize the power and authority to lead or command. When it is combined with a cross, one of the meanings of the crown is "victory," and the cross symbolizes Christianity. Many Royal crowns in Europe incorporated the Christian Cross into their design, reinforcing the Monarch's claim that their right to the throne was a divine right and that the Monarch was guided by the hand of God.

As a tattoo symbol, the crown doesn't just mean the right of one person to command another. It symbolizes and individual's sovereignty over their own life, feelings, thoughts, and actions. The crown symbolizes self-control, and is a reminder to use power and authority wisely and justly.

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.

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 - A perennial top ten tattoo design. 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. Trees - Trees have a rich symbolic history in many cultures, from the cherry trees and blossoms of Japan, to the trees that were at the center of the creation myths of the Celts and Norse in Europe. In a number of Asian and African cultures, their creation myths tell stories of men hanging from trees like fruit until they were plucked and came to life. Buddha found enlightenment in his long meditation under the branches of the Bodhi tree. Trees are powerful symbols of regeneration and rejuvenation, vivid reminders to us of the cycle of life, the hard, cold, barren months of Winter giving way to the new growth, buds, warmth, fertility and life of Spring.

In the Norse tradition, the Sacred Tree is Yggdrasil. This vast ash tree is literally the center of the Norse Universe, its branches hanging over the Nine Worlds and its roots leading up from the world of men to the world of the Gods. Odin hung himself from a branch of Yggdrasil for nine days, so that he might die and journey to the land of the dead, from which Odin returned with the Wisdom of the Dead and the Magic Runes. After Ragnarok, the end of the world of the Norse Gods, Yggdrasil will survive and humans who take shelter in the branches will descend to start a new world.

In the Celtic creation tradition trees were the ancestors of mankind. The Celts believed that trees had spirits and were living beings. Trees were symbols of ancient wisdom who provided the alphabet, the calendar, and entrance to the realms of the Gods. Trees were also associated in the Shamanic beliefs of the Druids and other Celtic peoples with the supernatural world. Trees were a connection to the world of the spirits and the ancestors, living entities, and doorways into other worlds. Celtic art often represented the branches and roots of trees as intertwined, a potent symbol of the interconnectedness of all life and the conscious and unconscious worlds.

10. Greek Tattoo Symbols - Ancient Greece and Greek culture have had a powerful influence on the development of art and civilization in Europe and the West in particular. Our modern governmental institutions and art forms can all trace their roots to Greece.

As tattoo symbols, Greek tattoos range from the Greek Cross - four equal arms, to the Greek alphabet, architectural details such as the Greek Key made famous by, among others, Gianni Versace, and an incredible array of mythic figures and heroes, Olympian and otherwise, Gods and Goddesses, that nearly defy the imagination. A partial list of well-known figures includes Zeus and Hera, Poisideon, Apollo, Athena, Hades, Ares, Eros and Aphrodite, Hermes, and heroes like Hercules. The Greek Gods had a great influence on a number of their Roman counterparts, such as Hermes to Mercury, Ares to Mars and there were often similar figures in a number of Northern European mythological pantheons.

The Greek alphabet arose from the Phoenician, gave rise to the Cyrillic, Gothic, Coptic and Latin alphabets and is the oldest alphabet in use today. It is also widely used in science and mathematics. Whether you were a member of a Greek Fraternity or not, there are few among us who are unfamiliar with Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, Epsilon and the list goes on and on, all the way to Omega, in fact!

Check out all these Greek Symbols here

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

Alphabetical Listing of Tattoo Symbols & Designs
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