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 08/31/07.

The last rays of summer sunshine will soon be setting on leaves turning from emeralds to rubies - at least here in the Northern Hemisphere. Down under the Equator they are getting ready for Spring. The past month saw a real tightening of the Top Ten Tattoo Designs & Symbols. The regular standbys in tattoo designs still do well, but there is ever more interest in a greater diversity of tattoo designs, with multiple designs tying for contention in the Top Ten spots (we call it a tie if designs are within a percentage point of one another). An interesting development has been the surge in interest in Sanskrit tattoo designs and symbols which just missed out of being in August's Top Ten. And that interest can almost certainly be laid at the feet of one David Beckham, a footballer (soccer player) you might have heard of... who also happens to be the most searched tattooed celebrity in the world.

The recent trials and tribulations of other tattooed celebrities has led to a huge surge in searches about their tattoos, namely Amy Winehouse - canceled US Tour, Lindsay Lohan - drug and alcohol arrests, and Britney Spears - more of the usual (is she ever NOT in crisis?).

1. Strength Tattoos - The searches for tattoo designs & symbols signifying "strength" have long been popular. This month, for the first time, "strength" is in the top spot. A tattoo that would serve its wearer as a powerful amulet and talisman, a touchstone for personal virtue.

The popularity of searching for "tattoos designs meaning..." has never been greater. Many of the searches in the Top Ten Tattoo Designs & Symbols are all interested in the meanings and symbolism to be found in specific tattoo designs. And while people are very much interested in great tattoo designs, most people want their tattoos to stand for something as important to them as "Strength, Family and Friendship", and even of course, "Love".

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.

2. Cross / Crosses Tattoo - 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.

See also Religious Tattoos

3. Tribal / Maori Tattoos - Tribal tattoo designs, especially Maori and Polynesian designs, continue to be all the rage. 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.

Polynesian designs were also a prominent search term this past month.

4. Angels - These ever-popular symbols of faith have long remained part of the top ten tattoo design searches.

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.

4. Swallow Tattoos - Down from the top spot last month, but things are pretty crowded at the top of the charts. A tattoo design that crosses several tattoo genres, Nautical, Old School and New School Tattoos and one that is popular with both men and women.

The swallow and bluebird tattoos are designs that show the enduring popularity of nautical-themed tattoo art. Traditionally the swallow is a tattoo that a sailor gets after traveling 5000 nautical miles at sea. Often a swallow is the "first sign that land is near". To a sailor the swallow means a "safe return home". Swallows are known to travel far distances out to sea during migration and would rest on boats close to shore which gave early mariners the first sign that land was close by.

5. Love / Friendship - Same spot as last month. 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.

Love Tattoo Designs - Covers an entire genre of tattoo designs

6. Flowers / Rose / Lotus Flower - Flowers as tattoo designs and symbols can be far more than just pretty pictures on pretty girls. Flowers are the embodiment of nature and concise symbols of the cycle of birth, life, procreation, death and rebirth. Specific flowers have come to represent a myriad of different beliefs in different cultures. In the East, the lotus flower has tremendous spiritual significance, as does the rose in the West. Similarly, the tremendous spectrum of colours present in flowers can have symbolic importance; white for purity, red for passion, or to represent the blood of Christ are but a few examples.

The shape of the flower, it's receptive cup-like form and it's passive role in fertilization, has been long been seen as a symbol of the feminine.

6. Nautical tattoos - are tattoos derived from the very roots and history of modern tattooing. Sailors were among the first to revive the art and practice of tattooing when they visited the islands of Polynesia in the South Pacific and other lands in Southeast Asia. Captain Cook in his famous explorations to Tahiti, Hawaii and New Zealand was the first to record the tattooing of the indigenous people in 1786. The word tattoo in the English language come from the Tahitian word, 'ta-taw', which was thought to mimic the sound made by the traditional Polynesian tattooing implements as they made a tattoo. When the sailors returned to Europe with tattoos that were essentially exotic souvenirs of their travels and adventures, European audiences were fascinated.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. Dragon - 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

For more great tattoo design ideas, see our good friends at TattooJohnny.com

Alphabetical Listing of Tattoo Symbols & Designs
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