Tattoo Designs & Symbols provides tattoo meanings, overviews and explanations of some of the most popular tattoo designs in the world today. Tattoo symbols & designs on this page all start with the letter S.

Tattoo Symbol Index - A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Sacred Heart – The Sacred Heart is a medieval symbol of Christ’s sacrifice, particularly within the Roman Catholic Church. The sacred heart tattoo signifies the redeeming love of God as the source of illumination and happiness, hence the flames, and the thorns... more

Sagittarius Astrological Sign Tattoos - The Western astrological sign of Sagittarius is part of the tropical zodiac (November 23 – December 21) and the sidereal zodiac (December 16 – January 14). It is associated with the constellation Sagittarius and the classical element Fire, making it a Fire sign. Sagittarius is also one of the Mutable signs (along with Gemini, Virgo and Pisces). It's symbol is the archer... more

Samurai Tattoo Designs - The samurai warrior is the penultimate symbol and epitome of masculine courage, honour and justice within Japanese tattooing, and the samurai represents the highest masculine ideals within Japanese culture. The samurai adhered to a strict code of conduct called 'Bushido', meaning 'the way of the warrior'. Bushido was based on the Zen Buddhist principles of Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Trust, Honour and Loyalty until death. Other ideals to which the samurai aspired were... more

Sanskrit Tattoo Designs - The Sanskrit language is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. Sanskrit is also known as "The Mother of all Languages", although it, like Latin, Greek and Persian, actually descends from... more

Satan Tattoos - Satan is one of the names given to a supernatural entity, who, in most Western religions, is the central embodiment of evil. This entity is commonly referred to by a variety of other names, including Asmodai, Beelzebub, Lucifer and/or Mephistopheles. In classic demonology, however, each of these alternate names refers to a specific supernatural entity, and there is significant disagreement as to whether any of these specific entities is actually... more

Scarab Tattoos - The Scarab Beetle is a dung beetle, which rolls balls of animal dung along the ground. These balls are rolled into holes that the beetles dig in the ground. The beetle then deposits its larvae in the dung ball which - when hatched, feed upon the dung. According to Egyptian mythology, the dung beetle rolling his ball of dung along the ground was thought to mimic the Sun’s heavenly circuit across the sky during the day and its daily self-renewal. It was believed that a sacred symbolic Scarab carrying a Solar disk on its back, represented the Sun’s cycle through the sky... more

Scorpio Astrological Sign Tattoos - Scorpio is the eighth astrological sign of the Zodiac. It is associated with the constellation Scorpius and the classical element Water, making it a Water sign. Scorpio is also one of the Fixed signs (along with Taurus, Leo and Aquarius). It's symbol is the Scorpion... more

Scorpion - the scorpion tattoo design / symbol is a potent tattoo symbol representing both danger and power. Insect and scorpion images have become a popular choice for body art / tattoo enthusiasts everywhere. Rendered in many styles from tribal to Celtic, realistic to fantasy... more

Scottish Tattoos - Scotland has a long and rich history of tattooing, body art and body adornment. The word picture actually comes from the Latin root 'pict', as the Romans described the Pict people they encountered in the northern reaches of their lands in Britain as covered in 'pictures of animals and other figures'. The Picts were so fierce and so difficult to conquer that the Roman Emperor Hadrian followed the expedient path of simply building a stone wall across the English countryside to keep them... more

Scripts, Scrolls, Names and Letters - A picture may speak a thousand words but there are times in life when a few well-chosen words can say volumes and move mountains. Who amongst us has ever forgotten the exact time and place we were when that special someone, the who caused our heart to grow faint at the sight of them, looked deep in our eyes and proclaimed for the first time, "I love you". You swooned. We all did, and still do. It is an integral and beautiful part of the human condition. Sometimes, a few words can say it all... more

Shamrock Tattoo Designs - As tattoo designs and symbols, the shamrock and four-leaf clover are very popular with Celts of Irish descent. In fact it is hard to imagine a St. Patrick's Day without Shamrocks and Four-Leaf Clovers to accompany Leprechauns and green beer. The Shamrock and Four-Leaf Clover are universal symbols of Ireland all over the world, a symbol of being of Irish descent and in the case of the four-leaf clover, a potent symbol of luck or good fortune. Interestingly enough, both shamrocks and four-leaf clovers are one in the same - with a crucial difference... more

Shark Tattoo Designs - In the West, the shark is viewed as the world’s greatest predator, and the shark tattoo a symbol of power and fearlessness. It’s been a long tradition among sailors to have a shark tattoo as proof you are not afraid of death at sea & for protection. Western sailors, always a superstitious lot, regarded the shark as the... more

She Devil Tattoo Designs - Also know as "Man's Ruin", a tattoo often consisting of the many vices that can lead a man astray in life, not the least of which is a woman - or a bad woman to be exact! This woman is often surrounded by drinking glasses, bottles of alcohol, playing cards, dice and other... more

Skull Tattoos - Skulls are represented in a number of tattoo design genres, and a classic tattoo design that has been popular for generations of tattoo enthusiasts. Nautical Tattoos with the Jolly Roger, or famed pirate's flag of Skull and Crossed Bones, Old School Tattoos, New School Tattoos, Bio-Mechanical and every School of Tattoos in between... more

Snake - Both the East and the West embrace snake tattoo designs, as the snake frequently appears in myths and legends in most cultures around the world. One of the oldest symbols in existence, the snake’s image is found long before the written word appeared... more

Snake, The Year of the - The snake is one of the 12 animals which appear in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. (Born in 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001.) Rich in wisdom and charm... more

Southern Cross - The Southern Cross is the English name of Crux Australis, a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also depicted in coats of arms of various countries and sub-national entities. This star constellation is only visible on the southern hemisphere and it therefore symbolizes the southern location of its users.

The Southern Cross can also refer to  Southern Cross Flags (or Rebel Flags, The Confederate Flag or The Confederate Battle Flag), which are flags which depict the blue saltire as used in various flags of the Confederate States of America in the American Civil War... more

Spider - The spider tattoo is another classic tattoo symbol, rife with symbolic meaning. Spiders often figure in prison tattoos, the webs of a spider symbolizing the bars that surround a convict's life... more

Spider Web - 'Struggle' is what the spider web tattoo symbolizes -- struggling in the ‘web of life’. And struggle in a spider's web implies capture, and the multiple strands of the web itself is often a metaphor for bars. Prison bars. In the West those bars usually represent criminal activity. In the East, or Communist Russia, prisoners may be criminal or political. And when captured, our most primal instinct is to seek escape, no less than the moth or the fly. But of course a spider's web is notoriously difficult to escape from.... more

Star Tattoos - Stars are often encountered as tattoo 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. Stars with a specific design have taken on an explicit meaning and symbolism on their own. Among the most well know of these are the... more

Stigmata Tattoos - Stigmata tattoo designs are a unique expression of religious faith and a potent reminder of the suffering endured by Jesus Christ to save man from everlasting sin.

Stigmata, meaning to prick or puncture referred in ancient Greek and Roman times to the method of branding the body of a soldier or slave to denote their rank or master. Cult members also marked their bodies with a ‘stigmata’ to identify themselves as adherents to a particular god or goddess. Christian martyrs were sometimes branded on their foreheads with the... more

StrawberryTattoos & Designs - The strawberry, besides being as red as a rose, is actually a member of the rose family. Wild strawberries, small, brightly coloured and with their intense flavor and smell, were clearly sought after by early hunter-gatherers in Europe and the Americas. Strawberry seeds have been found in Mesolithic sites in Denmark, Neolithic sites in Switzerland, and Iron Age sites in England. In addition to the fruit, the strawberry plant, its leaves in particular, has long been used in folk medicine... more

Sun Tattoos & Designs - 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... more

Swallow Tattoos - Swallows and bluebirds as tattoos are classic designs that show the enduring popularity of nautical themed tattoo art. Traditionally the swallow is a tattoo...  more

Sword Tattoos -  As a warrior's symbol, the sword is often emblematic of military honor and should incite the bearer to a just and generous pursuit of honor and virtue.

It is symbolic of liberty and strength. During the Middle Ages, the sword was often used as a symbol of the word of God. The sword (especially borne with flames) is also a symbol of purification... more