In the interests of research and as an ongoing barometer of popular culture we have decided to provide you with a weekly update of the Top Ten Weekly Tattoo Designs Search.

You can access the archived weekly lists on this page.

The Top 10 Tattoo Designs and Symbols, based on our site searches ending 6/14/06.

Tribal tattoos have surged back up to top spot this week. But once again, the ladies are exerting their influence in searches for tattoo designs on the Internet. Angels, fairies and wings are all crowded near the top of the searches this week, and all of these designs are heavily favoured by the kinder and gentler sex. It is fascinating to see the interest in wings specifically, a design that hints at flights of fancy. Wings are a tattoo design that is wonderfully flexible in scale and interpretation. Many tattoo magazines feature extraordinary wing tattoos that cover entire backs, either feathered, or beautiful butterfly and fairy interpretations, most of the models being women.

1. Tribal Tattoos - Back on top after a week, tribal tattoo designs continue to dominate tattoo design searches. Interestingly, an analysis of tattoo design searches probably reveals that women spend more time online looking for tattoo designs than men.

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.

2. Wings - Up two more spots this week. 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.

3. Fairy/Fairies - Up three spots this week. The Fairy as a tattoo design can be as simple as a take-off on the often overpowering presence of corporate America in pop-culture, think Tinkerbell & Disney creatures, or it harkens back to a rich history of story, myth and folklore. Fairies in literature are often the personification of human wishes & desire in the form of little people with magical powers. As a tattoo design they can be symbols of youthful innocence & a desire to retain a child-like imagination, wonder and awe.

The very word fairy, derived from the Latin "fata", or fate underlies the use of fairies in literature and myth to explain the workings of destiny, with it's often unpredictable nature of gifts and disappointments. The use of supernatural beings, who often meddle in human affairs in fairy tales, has created a genre of story-telling that is rich in symbolism and that lays bare the psychological and social challenges as we pass through the stages of childhood to adulthood. The presence of magic makes fairies a favorite of children and as a tattoo design they are a potent symbol of our youth.

4. Cross/crosses - Down just one spot this week. A testament to the popularity of the cross tattoo design.  For many people, the idea of a tattoo of a cross may well serve to smooth over any negative feedback they are receiving about getting body art. If you're a nice Christian boy or a girl, and you want a tattoo but don't want to be excommunicated by the local Baptists or tossed out the house by Mom and Dad and make Grandma wail, a cross tattoo seems like a positive compromise.

It testifies to personal faith, shows commitment and is a tough symbol to argue against. The cross may well be an artfully cunning manoeuvre for the Christian who wants to sport ink and cut off the body art opposition before they get to the pass! And for the members of the family who bring up the Bible as opposing tattoos, this will surely spark a lively, fun-filled family discussion about the scriptures - Leviticus. And that can never be a bad thing.

4. Lion - The big cat is back - in the Top ten that is. The Lion is an ancient symbol, one that has been incorporated into the religion and mythology of numerous cultures and civilizations since recorded time around the Middle East, India, throughout Africa and bordering the Mediterranean. Lions once roamed the southern reaches of Europe. The influence of the power of the Lion's symbolism can be seen in it's representation in both Chinese and Japanese art and mythology, both cultures beyond it's range.

The Lion was often used as a symbol of Royalty, as in many cultures it was considered the "King of the Beasts". In early Christianity, as Jesus was seen to be the "King of Kings", he was often represented by a Lion, and a Lion was the symbol of St. Mark. The Lion is mentioned many times in the Bible and the time when a Lion lays with a Lamb is seen as the dawning of a New Age. The Lion or Leo, is one of the twelve signs of the Zodiac and represents the Sun.

5. Angel/Angels Wings - An angel tattoo design is an overtly religious symbol. 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.

6. Star/Stars - Tumbling half way down the Top Ten chart from last week. Stars are often encountered as symbols, and in 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. See the Nautical Star, a star with its own special meaning.

7. Butterfly Tattoo - Down two spots from last week. The butterfly, because of its short life, its physical beauty, & 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); & in their mythology Psyche was in consequence represented in art with butterfly wings.

8. Scorpion tattoo - Ahhh, the tough guy is back! the scorpion tattoo design / symbol is a potent tattoo symbol representing both danger and power. Insect images have become a popular choice for body art enthusiasts everywhere. Rendered in many styles from tribal to Celtic, realistic to fantasy, these insect tattoo designs appear in personal body art galleries around the world.

9. Crown tattoos - A fascinating symbol back in the Top Ten. The crown has long been used as a symbol of royal power and authority. Like the sceptre, the crown is a visible badge of office, granting the wearer, it's possessor, the absolute right to rule. That authority to rule was often held to be divinely inspired. In the Christian tradition the garland of thorns placed on Christ's head during the ordeal of his crucifixion is know as the "Crown of Thorns". The centerpiece of any coronation of a new monarch is always the moment when the new King, Queen, or Emperor has the state crown placed upon their head. At that moment the power to rule is transferred to the new monarch. 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.

10. Celtic - a sub-genre of tribal tattooing. Celtic tattoo designs are extraordinarily popular in their own right. Celtic knot designs while at first and foremost decorative on the surface, are at their roots very culturally significant and deeply symbolic. And so too can be Celtic tattoo designs.

Celtic tattoo designs are primarily a genre of complex interwoven lines representing knots, mazes, spirals and other figures. Celtic animal figures are zoomorphic or stylized renderings of animals that were used for carvings, in jewelry and wood, stonework and manuscript illustrations. Many images used by tattoo artists today are derived from the famous Irish Book of Kells.

The Book of Kells is an ornately illustrated manuscript, produced by Irish Monks around AD 800. It is one of the most lavishly illuminated manuscripts to survive the period. The name "Book of Kells" is derived from the Abbey of Kells in Kells, County Meath in Ireland, where it was kept for much of the mediaeval period.

There are strong Norse design influences in Celtic knot work, and there is some debate as to the exact origin. Clearly there were exchanges between cultures through both trade and conquest. The complexity of Celtic design is thought to mimic or echo the complexity of nature, the use of Celtic knots in spirals and mazes, the intricate interweaving showing no beginning and no end, reflective of the cycles of the seasons and of life.

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Alphabetical Listing of Tattoo Symbols & Designs
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