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 08/7/06.

1. Tribal / Maori Tattoos - Still the most requested tattoo design. The usual place for tribal designs - See Tommy Lee, Pamela Anderson, Robbie Williams, Ben Harper and The Rock, who have all inspired tribal and Maori tattooing.

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.

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.

Maori tattooing is distinguished by the use of bold lines and the repetition of specific design motifs that are prominent both in the tattooing or "moko" of the Maori people of New Zealand and within other cultural artworks suck as carving and weaving. A traditional Maori tattoo artist -- the tohunga ta moko -- could produce two different types of pattern: that based on a pigmented line, and another, the puhoro, based on darkening the background and leaving the pattern unpigmented; as clear skin. Within Maori facial tattoos it is possible to discern two spiral patterns very similar to the fern frond, or koru, that is a repeating motif common to Maori art, including tattooing or "moko", painting and carving, in both wood, bone and greenstone.

Traditionally Maori tattoo artists followed very specific rules laid out for facial "moko" or tattoos. It is important to note that because of the tremendous cultural complexity of New Zealand's many tribes and clans, these rules often had local variations. But the idea that the tattoos followed a set of prescribed rules was widespread, and tattoos were specific to individuals, family, clans and tribes. Maori tattoos follow the contours of the face, and are meant to enhance the natural contours and expressions of an individual's face. A well-executed tattoo would trace the natural "geography" of an individual's facial features, for example lines along the brow ridge; the major design motifs are symmetrically placed within opposed design fields: lines are used in certain areas where spirals are not used; two types of spiral are used -- the koru, which is not rolled up and has a "clubbed" end, and the rolled spiral. (Ta Moko: The Art of Maori Tattoo, By D.R.Simmons)

An excellent example of a modern, Maori-inspired tribal tattoo is that of heavy-weight champion boxer Mike Tyson. Singer Ben Harper has beautifully executed Maori-inspired tattoo design motifs.

2. Cross/crosses - In the same spot as last week, and as popular as ever. And for the first time, we got a specific request for a new kind of cross... Saty tuned!  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.

3. Wings -  Up four spots this week. A popular tattoo design with both men and women. 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.

4. Devil head - Ahhh! Back in the Top Ten! The Devil makes an appearance. The devil is the name 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 Satan, 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 evil.

The English word devil derives via Middle English devel and Old English dēofol and Latin Diábolus, from Late Greek Diabolos, meaning, slanderer, from diaballein, to slander: dia-, across + ballein, to hurl. The term devil can refer to a greater demon in the hierarchy of Hell.

In other languages devil may be derived from the same Proto-Indo-European root word for deva, which roughly translates as "angel". However, a "deva" or "diva" is not a devil.

Also see "Death's Head" tattoo!

"Death Head" Skull is used to describe a military insignia featuring a skull above crossed bones. It is distinguished from the similar traditions of the skull and crossbones and the Jolly Roger (pirate symbol) by the fact that the bones are positioned directly behind the skull.

Although the Death's Head design is often associated with the German SS and Nazism, like the Swastika, the design is considerably older in origin. Both designs have suffered a significant stigma because of their association and use in Nazi Germany.

It became a popular tattoo design with biker's who used it as a symbol - an amulet or talisman - to ward off and protect oneself from death.

Skulls used in art and as symbols has a rich cultural history, ranging from the great Master painters of the Renaissance, to the art of the Church, to the legions and battalions of Armies across Europe.

For more see : Skulls

4. Star/Stars - Up a spot from last week. Thanks to the continued strong box office of Pirates of the Caribbean. Go Johnny Depp!

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.

5. Moon star - I have no idea what a "moon star" is! What is interesting is that the moon and the star appear together in many coats of arms and in family and religious crests. The moon is the feminine representation in many cases, and the moon and stars together represent the complete night sky.

6. Celtic - Back in the Top Ten.

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.

7. Dragonfly tattoo - Also back in the Top Ten. The dragonfly, like the fairy and butterfly tattoo is an extremely popular tattoo design for women. The design can be a small sexy secret or a large tribute to the wild and free spirit that the dragonfly represents. The dragonfly is the power of light. The dragonfly inhabits two realms: air and water and passes the influence of both these elements to the wearer

8. Archangels - A first for the Top Ten, but angel and angels are perennial Top Ten Favorite Tattoo Designs. The archangels are the messenger angels and warrior angels of God. Gabriel and Michael were Archangels. The special envoys of God charged with special missions to do God's work. Archangels are popular designs in Memorial tattoos, particularly to remember fallen members of the Armed Services, Law Enforcement and Fire Departments.

8. Eternity - This tattoo design search is a bit of an enigma.

There is Japanese Kanji for "eternity".

There is the "infinity sign" that could be taken to represent or symbolize all eternity. 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.

And then there is 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.

8. Sun - Down from the number six spot last week. A perennial with men and women, and what better way to symbolize summer?

A celestial body closely associated with the stars... 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.

As a tattoo design and symbol, a Sun represents fertility, vitality, passion, courage and eternally renewed youth, light and knowledge. When looking at some of the popular tattoo designs, note the following, in various cultures in the history of man, the Sun was represented by the following; an Eagle, an Eagle with a Serpent, a Winged Serpent (Dragon), a Falcon (Egyptian God Horus), Phoenix, Swan, Lion, Ram, Cock or Bull. The Sun could be further represented by the Heart symbol, A Rosette or Rose, the Lotus, the Sunflower and the Chrysanthemum. An examination of the most popular tattoo designs will show an amazing correlation with the above mentioned symbols.

9. Seaman cross - Also known as the "Rock of Ages". A classic tattoo design of nautical origin. The symbolism behind the Sailor's Cross or what is sometimes known as the Rock of Ages, many fold.

Nautical tattooing was rich with designs that had a highly symbolic nature and they were tattoos that were designed to function as specifically amulets and talismans, in other words, they were tattoos rendered for protection. Having the words "Hold Fast" tattooed on your fingers was in the hope that you would never lose your grip while in the rigging high above deck. Other symbols showed you had crossed the Equator, rounded the Cape Horn or visited the Far East.

Another belief was that a religious symbol, such as a cross or a depiction of Jesus Christ tattooed on a sailor's back, might make a man forced to undergo a disciplinary lashing, less likely to be severely punished.

A popular tattoo that goes back well over a century, depicts a sailor or a man kneeling before a cross hewn out of solid stone. The cross, and the man's religious belief and faith were meant to last for all time. A man's Christian faith was often referred to as the foundation stone or bedrock upon which a virtuous life was built. This was a carry over from the belief that a house or a building was only as strong as the foundation it was built on. The stone cross became known over time as "The Rock of Ages", or the sailor's cross.

Nautical tattooing was rich with designs that had a highly symbolic nature and they were tattoos that were designed to function as specifically amulets and talismans, in other words, they were tattoos rendered for protection. Having the words "Hold Fast" tattooed on your fingers was in the hope that you would never lose your grip while in the rigging high above deck. Other symbols showed you had crossed the Equator, rounded the Cape Horn or visited the Far East.

Another belief was that a religious symbol, such as a cross or a depiction of Jesus Christ tattooed on a sailor's back, might make a man forced to undergo a disciplinary lashing, less likely to be severely punished.

A popular tattoo that goes back well over a century, depicts a sailor or a man kneeling before a cross hewn out of solid stone. The cross, and the man's religious belief and faith were meant to last for all time. A man's Christian faith was often referred to as the foundation stone or bedrock upon which a virtuous life was built. This was a carry over from the belief that a house or a building was only as strong as the foundation it was built on. The stone cross became known over time as "The Rock of Ages", or the sailor's cross.

9. Letters tattoo - Letter Tattoos have long been popular, first with sailors who would get the entire Lord's Prayer tattooed on their bodies, or other favorite biblical passages.

Tattoos consisting of lettering are hugely popular with people of colour because, the lettering, largely done in black, shows up well on all skin tones.

Very popular in "cholo culture", Hip Hop and Rap and with other Musicians. Think 50 Cent, Tupac Shakur's, "THUG LIFE" and Tommy Lee's famous "MAYHEM".

9. She Devil - Also known as "Man's Ruin"  A woman regarded as cruel or malicious.

"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 accoutrements of gambling, such as horse shoes to represent betting on the ponies at the track. In short, "Man's Ruin" could also be titled, "Wine, Women and Song!". Use your imagination to add other elements of various modern vices!

10. Angel/Angels - 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.

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

Alphabetical Listing of Tattoo Symbols & Designs
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