The church does not approve of tattoos, but what if a parishioner wants a body drawing as a sign of their faith? Millions of believers around the world are proud of their faith and want to leave an eternal reminder of it on their bodies. After all, this drawing will remind them every time what they are fighting for and what they live for. You can choose different symbols or words for this, but the essence will remain the same — it will always be about faith tattoos.
You will be surprised (or not), but this type of tattoo is one of the most popular in the world. Why, what meaning can a faith tattoo have, and what are the symbols and designs? We will try to give answers to all these questions.
Symbols in Faith Tattoos
The word “faith” has no special symbol designation, so many different signs are associated with it. The most famous symbol is the cross. The cross is deeply associated with faith, we see it in churches, and many people wear the cross on their bodies. It is usually associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, that is to say, with Christianity in general. From this, we see another symbol, Jesus, also popular in faith tattoos. Other Christian symbols include doves, hands in prayer, rosaries, and scriptures.
“So how do you pick one?” — you’ll ask. Think about what connects you most to your faith. Perhaps you have read something important in the Bible, or you have found peace in prayer, or maybe something else.
There are more general symbols that can be used by anyone, not just Christians. These symbols convey spiritual faith more than religious faith but they are no less important. For example, the word “faith” can be accompanied by an infinity sign, flowers, or birds. Sometimes symbols associated with other faiths are used — the Star of David (signifying Jewish origin), a lotus flower (Buddhism), etc.
Faith Tattoo Meaning
A faith tattoo is often just a word, “faith” or “fé” (this is a translation into Portuguese, also very popular among tattoo fans). Faith tattoos are important to believers — it’s how they show what they live for, what they care about, and what they believe in.
Faith can mean more than just belief in God, in a higher power. Sometimes it is a belief in yourself or a reminder that you have to believe to overcome fear. And sometimes you have to believe to be yourself, to remain human.
Perhaps you want to show inner
strength in a tattoo? This can be done in many ways, and we have gathered some ideas for you.
Faith Tattoo Ideas
How do you convey a sense of faith in a tattoo? It lives deep inside a person and is difficult to describe. Nevertheless, humans are the most inventive creatures on earth and have come up with many ways to reflect faith in tattoos.
Inscriptions
Words are the easiest way to express thoughts and sometimes feelings. Perhaps people often choose inscriptions to convey their faith most clearly, so there is no understatement.
Faith
The common word “faith” is the top 1 among such tattoos. Believers often choose minimalism and simplicity. For them, it is not the shell that is vital, but the meaning. In such cases, you can express a lot with just this word. Pay attention to the fonts — they are similar in most cases. People choose handwritten calligraphic fonts to convey refinement, fragility, and beauty. It can be something solemn or personal. It fits in nicely with the notion of faith, does not it?
“Fé”
Brevity is the sister of talent, isn’t it? If you agree with this statement, you will surely appreciate the concise “fé” tattoo. Not everyone will understand its meaning, although it is only a translation of the word “faith” in Portuguese. Nevertheless, you will look mysterious enough to make others curious about the meaning of such a tattoo (in case you want to show it).
Faith-Hope-Love
Faith, hope, and love are the main Christian virtues. They are so well known that they even have their symbols — the cross, the anchor, and the heart — joined together. Sometimes they are called allegories of the Holy Trinity.
Quotes
Sometimes tattoo fans choose whole quotes related to their faith. More often than not, there is also the concept of fear as something that hinders faith: “Faith over fear”, “Fear ends where faith begins”.
Crosses
We have already briefly mentioned crosses, but let us remind you again: the cross is the most famous symbol associated with the faith, it means the crucifixion of Christ. The tattoo with the image of the cross on the arm carries the symbol of honor, strength, and patience.
The cross tattoo on the neck signifies a person’s submission to their fate. This does not mean that the symbol is for wimps. You know, obedience to fate, humility, and meaningful fatalism is not for wimps. This symbol carries this meaning in the male version, but for women, it means that she chooses her path and meets all the outbursts of fate, ready for anything.
Flowers
Flowers are not directly associated with faith but sometimes become symbols. For example, people associate the rose with the Virgin Mary. It was believed that the rose in the Garden of Eden had no thorns before the fall of humanity, so Mary is often depicted with a rose without thorns.
Sometimes other flowers are also used, such as daisies.
Saint’s & Angels
People who want a relatively large tattoo on the subject of faith more often choose images of saints or angels.
- The tattoo with Jesus Christ says that a person is ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of others, and strives to help people not only to feel good but also because he simply cannot live in another way.
- The drawing of the Mother of God speaks about holiness and spirituality, wisdom and purity
- Tattoo with St. George indicates courage and strength, fortitude and determination of the person.
- Drawing with Nicholas the Wonderworker speaks of courage, compassion, and love for others.
Hands in Prayer
Prayer is one of the most important expressions of faith. In prayer, a person opens his soul, repents, or asks God for help. People whose lives and prayers are significant often choose this symbol for a tattoo.
Unusual Designs
Sometimes people find it hard to choose one symbol, and they combine several to make an unusual composition. And for others, a symbol of faith is something unique or unconventional, like a skeleton or a butterfly. These are the kinds of ideas we have gathered at the end of our selection.
How To Choose a Font for a Faith Tattoo
Sometimes believers think that one must necessarily choose ancient scripts that were found in ancient manuscripts, etc. In fact, there is no need to do so unless you like those very fonts.
One of the most commonly used fonts in tattooing is calligraphic. There are so many reasons why this particular style of writing is chosen, but we think this success is thanks to the fact that you can get a custom design in this style simply because each of us has unique handwriting. Calligraphy styles can range from the classic style, which takes us back to the text styles of the past, to the handwritten style.
Writing a tattoo font just by hand is not a bad alternative. You’ll never know if you’ll get something good until you try it! There are many tattoos for which handwritten lettering has been used. So you could, after looking at the many variations of fonts that already exist, try writing something for yourself with your hand. This will help you make the tattoo as personal as possible.
Faith Tattoos for Men and Women
Is there any difference between men and women when it comes to faith-related tattoos? More likely no than yes. In the 21st century, the boundaries between what men like and what women like are slowly being erased. Yes, men are still choosing a rougher tattoo style more often, but not as often as they used to.
Now you can meet both girls and guys with subtle minimalist designs as well as brighter and rougher ones. It all depends on your preferences.
Summary
Faithful people like having things around to remind them of their faith, so faith tattoos are perfect for them. Made from images of their gods or their words, they are a very common style of tattoo.
Faith tattoos cover almost all religions. Whether you are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist… You can have these types of tattoos on your skin that will follow you forever.
In these tattoos, you can expect everything from angels to virgins, crosses, bleeding Christ, smiling Christ, churches, roses… The images you can use are almost endless and will depend a lot on your taste and your personal story.
FAQ
🤔 What Does a Faith Tattoo Mean?
In general, a faith tattoo simply means that a person believes in something or someone. The reasons may vary, but if a person imprints something on his body, it most likely has greatly affected him.
⛪️ What Is a Symbol of Faith?
The most famous symbol is the cross. The cross is deeply associated with faith, we see it in churches, and many people wear the cross on their bodies.
💬 What Are the Dots on the Faith Tattoo?
People choose a tattoo with three dots to pay homage to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Christian belief systems.
🌹 What Flower Symbolizes Faith?
Flowers are not directly associated with faith but sometimes become symbols. For example, the rose is associated with the Virgin Mary. It was believed that the rose in the Garden of Eden had no thorns before the fall of mankind, so Mary is often depicted with a rose without thorns.
Gloomy and fantastic tattoo themes are becoming more and more popular every year. You can meet people with tattoos of demons, skulls, and ghosts very often. Tattoo designs of a large size on the chest, arms, and other body parts are the most common among guys.
But the uniqueness of the ghost tattoo is that you can get both a serious & gloomy design and a minimalistic & cute one. The second type is more popular among women because it looks more neat and feminine.
If you are a fan of
minimalistic tattoos and want to be inspired by various new ideas, check out our article! The 60+ more interesting designs of such a tattoo style are gathered there.
In this article, we have gathered 50+ of the most unusual and attractive ghost tattoo designs. Moreover, we will introduce you to the top 5 tattoo artists who will help you implement ghost tattoos in the best way.
What Does a Ghost Tattoo Mean?
The basic meaning of the ghost tattoo is the fearlessness of its owner. It is because many people since childhood are afraid of ghosts, demons, skeletons, otherworldly spirits, and other fictional living horror and fairy tale characters. At the same time, people who get a ghost tattoo, challenge their fears and become courageous. Also, the ghost tattoo design is considered a talisman against evil spirits and troubles. It can make its owner more self-confident.
?
You can explore all the
ghost tattoos from more than 2,000 InkMatch artists with our newest gallery search feature. Choose the tattoo design you like and contact the artist who created it in several clicks!
50+ Ghost Tattoo Adorable Ideas
A ghost skeleton tattoo
Ghost tattoo designs can also vary because everyone imagines these fictional characters differently. For example, some imagine them as cute (or want to implement them on their bodies this way to challenge a fear), while others imagine them as monsters or even living skeletons. So the appearance of a ghost tattoo depends only on you and your imagination.
Cute Ghost
A cute ghost tattoo is the best choice for people with a good sense of humor. These designs are created in a cartoon style, gaining even more uniqueness and irregularity of the idea.
A cute ghost tattoo means:
- 🎀 Naughtiness;
- 🎀 Youthfulness;
- 🎀 Good sense of humor;
- 🎀 Courage;
- 🎀 Positivity;
- 🎀 Friendliness;
- 🎀 Openness.
Two Ghosts
Two ghosts most often represent a couple of ghosts in love. Therefore, such a tattoo design would be a great fit:
- 💕 As couple tattoos;
- 💕 To romantic natures;
- 💕 In honor of your other half;
- 💕 To creative individuals who like to dream;
- 💕 To fans of fairy tales and beautiful love stories.
Boo Ghost
“Boo” ghosts are a great cartoon design for those who want to show themselves and the world that there is nothing scary about them. This tattoo idea proves to everyone that we shouldn’t be afraid of something that seems insanely scary, just because we made it up for ourselves.
Undoubtedly, it all depends on our thinking and perception. If we imagine ghosts to be very cute, as in the designs above, their “boo” will not scare us.
Cat Ghost
The ghost cat tattoo design takes on a more playful meaning. This idea means that its owner likes to take risks and does not mind “playing hide and seek” with otherworldly forces.
Moreover, the ghost cat tattoo means:
- 😺 The nocturnal lifestyle;
- 😺 Mystery;
- 😺 Freedom;
- 😺 Courage;
- 😺 Love of adventure.
Mario Ghost
Boo Diddley is a cartoon ghost, Mario’s adversary in games and movies. They are memorable for their white ball-shaped image and different facial expressions: with tongue or teeth.
Mario ghost tattoo means:
- 👻 Naughty;
- 👻 Laughter;
- 👻 Protection from fears;
- 👻 Avoidance of trouble;
- 👻 Playing with danger.
Halloween Ghost
There are many fans of the colorful and mysterious Halloween holiday. The most common symbols of this scariest night of the year are:
- Pumpkins 🎃;
- Witches 🧙♀️;
- Ghosts 👻;
- Bats 🦇.
Therefore, Halloween ghost tattoo designs are also complemented by the rest of the symbols of this holiday. It makes the tattoo ideas even more atmospheric and attractive.
Minimalism
In recent years, large drawings, graphics, and watercolors are being replaced by minimalist tattoos. They are gaining trend positions on all tattoo themes and ideas. The minimalism style’s popularity is explained not only by the quick and less painful process of getting a design but also by the easy care for tattoos:
- It is easier for you to hide the design from direct sunlight;
- It is easier, faster, and more economical to moisturize the tattoo area with cream;
- A smaller area of damaged skin, which means the healing is faster and better;
- After the session, you can put on a much smaller piece of the particular healing film, which will help the tattoo not to bleed for a long time and heal in 4-6 days.
Using a small film will help you save money and time in changing it later.
Realism
Realistic ghost tattoos are darker than the rest, as they lose their cute cartoon style. Also, a quote inscription is a great way to diversify your realism tattoo design.
Realism is the most complex style, so you should contact a competent artist for a high-quality design. On our website, you can find the most suitable tattoo artist nearby and apply to him to get a realistic ghost tattoo.
Traditional
The American traditional tattoo is the most known and common style. Its main advantage is harmony throughout:
- 🌺 The color scheme;
- 🌺 The precise black outline;
- 🌺 A wide variety of designs;
- 🌺 Densely painted patches of color.
Sometimes old-school ghost tattoo designs are complemented by the dotwork technique. Such tattoos look like a cartoon from the 40s of the 20th century. For example, they are similar to the 1945 cartoon “The Friendly Ghost” about the cute character Casper.
Dotwork
Dotwork tattoo is one of the most recognizable styles because its main feature is creating a design out of dots. To darken a tattoo part, you need to make more dots. And to lighten it, you need to make the distance between them longer and the concentration per area smaller.
The main advantages of the dotwork ghost tattoo are:
- ✓ High contrast;
- ✓ Neatness;
- ✓ Easy readability of the design at long distances;
- ✓ Textured and lively look;
- ✓ Versatility (can be combined with any style of tattoo).
Fingers
The fingers are not the most practical area for tattooing, as the design can fade in 1-3 months after the session. It happens for the following reasons:
- → The skin on the fingers is often renewed more often than in other parts of the body;
- → The tattoo on the fingers is constantly exposed to sunlight;
- → Hands are constantly in motion, which stimulates the tattoo to fade faster due to the fingers’ increased friction.
Forearm
Men’s forearm tattoos with ghosts are usually large and complex designs. It can be a several ghosts tattoo composition or a single large character design. Also, the most popular styles for these tattoos are realism and dotwork.
Women mostly prefer smaller tattoo ideas. They look more harmonious on a woman’s thin and slender arm. Ghost tattoo designs in the minimalist style look more cute and gentle.
Arm
Both tattoo artists and their clients love arm tattoos. The reasons are the following:
- The skin in this place does not sag and does not stretch. From time to time, small and large details of the ghost design do not deteriorate. Therefore, you do not have to go to a second session to restore them.
- The skin in this place is smooth and even. Therefore, it will be easier for the tattoo artist to work on the fine details of your ghost tattoo.
Leg
Ghost tattoo designs on the leg are most often elongated due to the structural features of the limbs. It allows you to, for example, fantasize about what this character would look like with legs.
As a result, you will get an unusual design that will emphasize your identity and decorate a body part that you can show others if you wear short clothes.
Best Ghost Tattoo Artists
The choice of a qualified tattoo artist is one of the most significant factors that should be considered to get the best ghost tattoo. If you choose an attractive and desirable design but can’t do it perfectly, it won’t do you any good. So don’t mess with fate and trust this responsible step to professionals.
We have selected the top 5 tattoo artists who will implement the desired tattoo ghost design for you without any problems.
Summary
There can be many reasons for choosing a ghost tattoo design, but two main ones stand out among them.
- You don’t like to go with the flow and blend in with the crowd? Choose one design among 50+ ghost tattoo ideas!
- You are brave and not afraid to face your fears – this tattoo idea is just for you!
If you fit these descriptions (or even not), choose one of the 50+ ghost tattoo ideas listed in our article, find out their meanings, find the right tattoo artist, and scare your fears!
FAQ
👻 What Do Ghost Tattoo Designs Mean?
The main meaning of a ghost tattoo is courage and the ability to face your fears.
💪 What Are the Best Parts To Get a Ghost Tattoo?
The best body parts for a ghost tattoo are the forearm, arm, fingers, and leg. Designs in these places are less painful to receive than in others. Also, they look very harmonious, emphasizing your strengths and hiding your flaws.
✍️ Why Choose the Ghost Tattoo?
A ghost tattoo is perfect for both men and women because it can be both intimidating and cute.
